Brad Marchand’s “odd” debut with the Florida Panthers provided a memorable overtime win for his new team as well as some unforgettable moments.
One of those happened in the second period of Friday’s Panthers-Utah matchup when team captain Aleksander Barkov was seen laughing alongside Marchand on the bench during a stoppage of play.
“I wonder what Barkov’s laughing at, sitting next to Marchand over on that Panther bench,” the game commentator wondered live.
Lucky for him and all hockey fans interested in knowing the reason behind Barkov’s reaction, Panthers reporter Katie Engleson stepped up and revealed what it was about after the game.
Barkov told me the smile on his face was because of a chirp Marchand made to an opposing player-
“I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player, but now I hear this from my own teammate…When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you're just sitting there… https://t.co/tZMrAJxFaw
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) March 29, 2025
Barkov told Engleson that it was Marchand’s trademark chirping-once aimed at him and others as opponents but now directed at their shared rivals-that sparked his laughter.
“I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player,” Barkov said. “But now I hear this from my own teammate.”
Marchand, who played over 15 seasons for Boston, was traded just before the deadline but had his Panthers debut delayed due to injury.
The veteran returned on Friday, assisting Sam Bennett’s overtime winner to give Florida a 2–1 victory over Utah Hockey Club.
“When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you’re just sitting there and thinking, is this real?” Barkov said. “You just battled against him, and now, all of a sudden, you’re his teammate.
“It’s crazy, but it was awesome.”
Marchand logged 16:30 of ice time, tallying four shots, two hits, and two blocked shots, as well as the primary assists in the game-winning goal scored by teammate Sam Bennett.
“Every shift, you feel his presence,” Barkov said. “He’s a guy you want on your side.”
“(Marchand) hasn’t played for a month now and he steps right in and is dominating and controlling the game,” Bennett said. “That’s tough to do in your first game back, especially on a new team.”
The Panthers’ win moved them to the top of the Atlantic Division, boasting 91 points, but the Toronto Maple Leafs’ victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday brought Florida back down to the second place.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions trail Toronto (92 points in one more game played) by one point and are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the standings entering Sunday’s slate of games.
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