Brad Marchand’s trade to the Florida Panthers was never going to be low-key. It’s not every day a franchise icon is dealt to another team in a move that garners shock and awe. But nonetheless, as Marchand spent the last few days acclimating to his new reality, it wasn’t long before he got caught in the middle of some friendly fire.
When Marchand skated onto the ice with his new teammates, he wasn’t just learning about his Panthers teammates—he was stepping onto hostile territory. Bostonians had only just started to accept his departure, and they had to sit there and watch him laugh on the ice with a player who had knocked him out of a playoff game. What occurred off the ice, though, is what got everyone buzzing.
One day later, and as quickly as Marchand called new teammate Sam Bennett a “scumbag” in jest (referring to their past history), Bennett gave as good as he got. The social media team of the Panthers put out a picture of the pair laughing together on the ice, and Bennett reshared it on his Instagram story with a two-word caption: “Couple scumbags ”
The exact hockey humor that one would anticipate from two players with their tough, in-your-face playing styles. But it was no prank, either—it was revenge by Bennett. Bennett laid out Marchand with a jaw shot during last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, making him miss a couple games. Marchand didn’t have any ill will towards him back then, as he said he knew it was just playoff hockey. But he wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
“Yeah, he’s still a scumbag,” Marchand said with a smile during his first-ever introductory press conference.“I’m really looking forward to—well, I’m sure my jaw is really looking forward to playing with him.” Bennett did have a sense of humor regarding it, but his Instagram response was an excellent comeback. The repartee showed that all their sparring was just that, and these two teammates were more than glad to get into it.
Brad Marchand settles in with new teammates
If anyone wondered how Brad Marchand would fit in with the Panthers, Bennett’s response provided the obvious answer—he’s already one of the guys. Bennett later said Marchand chirped immediately after being added to the Panthers’ group chat.
“As soon as we added him in the group chat, he was chirping. His first message with a chirp, right away. You love that. It breaks the ice. That’s just who he is, and we’re excited to have that personality here,” Bennett said. Marchand’s personality is a good fit, though, for a Panthers team that already takes pride in being tough, talented, and unapologetic. With guys like Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, there is no shortage of players in the Sunshine State that can get under other players’ skin, and they just added one of the all-time great agitators to the mix.
With Marchand out week-to-week due to an injury to his upper body, it’s clear he’s already affecting the locker room. And when he finally dresses for his debut with the Panthers, the NHL can expect a physical, chirpy, trouble-causing lineup on the ice.
Brad Marchand is wearing a new jersey, but he is still the same. From chirping in the text message thread, throwing jabs at his teammates, to fanning the flames of rivalries in the media, he’s embracing his new start in Florida in the most Marchand way possible. And with his first official game on the horizon, the hockey world can only guess what sort of mayhem is in store when he steps on the ice. If there is one thing that is certain, though, is that the Panthers are just that much more infuriating to play against—and Marchand is only there to contribute to it.
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