Brad Marchand never expected to be in Stanley Cup Final in Panthers jersey
Brad Marchand is back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2019. But this time, it's as a member of the Florida Panthers.
'I definitely didn't expect to be here in this jersey,' Marchand, who had an assist in the win, told TNT's Jackie Redmond after Florida's Game 5 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. 'But I'm very happy I am.'
Advertisement
Marchand was traded to the Panthers in March after spending his entire 16-year career with the Bruins. He won one Stanley Cup while with Boston in 2011, and played in two others (2013, 2019). The veteran forward knows the opportunity to play on the NHL's biggest stage doesn't come often.
'It's special. When you've been around for a while, you realize how few opportunities you have to be part of something like this,' Marchand said. 'Just enjoying every moment. Grateful for the opportunity."
The Panthers clinched their third straight berth to the Cup Final with their win over Carolina on Wednesday night at Lenovo Center. They erased a two-goal deficit early on and shifted the momentum.
'When you've been through it before and have gone all the way, you see the different way momentum swings can happen throughout a game and how you can take advantage of that,' Marchand told reporters.
Advertisement
Marchand and the rest of the Panthers now await the outcome of the Edmonton Oilers-Dallas Stars series, and knows their job isn't done.
'We haven't accomplished anything yet,' Marchand said. 'The toughest team we're gonna face is coming up next. If you don't do the job there, you didn't win anything. We're excited, but it's just like any other round. There's a huge job to do moving forward and we have to prepare for that now.'
More Bruins content
Read the original article on MassLive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oilers vs Panthers: Referees Announced For Game 2
EDMONTON – Game 1 ended up the way that the Edmonton Oilers wanted. On Friday night, the hockey world waits to see how Game 2 will pan out. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. The Florida Panthers let a 3-1 lead slip away, resulting in a 4-3 overtime victory for the home team. Leon Draisaitl scored the dagger while Stuart Skinner played out of his mind to earn the victory. Advertisement A massive part of the game is the special-teams battle. This battle is often dictated by the referees who are working the game. With that in mind, here are the referees for Friday night's Game 2. Trending Oilers Stories How To Make The McDavid-To-Maple Leafs Rumors Stop How To Make The McDavid-To-Maple Leafs Rumors Stop EDMONTON – When will it ever end? Oilers Secretive Of New Victory Song, "Pink Pony Club" Connor McDavid's Wife Lauren Makes Big Announcement 'I Really Hope We Score': Oilers' Stuart Skinner And His Remarkable Talent Of Staying Ready New Oilers Defender Has Boxing Legend Lineage REPORT: Ex-Oilers Jay Woodcroft Surprising Favorite For New Coaching Gig REPORT: Ex-Oilers Jay Woodcroft Surprising Favorite For New Coaching Gig EDMONTON – Good coaches can be hard to find. Jean Hebert & Chris Rooney Are The Game 2 Referees Jean Hebert and Chris Rooney will be the referees for Game 2 on Friday night. Both have worked over 100 playoff games in their career. Advertisement Here are the details for each referee that you need to know. 2025 Team Records: Hebert: Panthers (4-3-2) Oilers (2-2-0) Rooney: Panthers (3-1-1) Oilers (2-1-1) Hebert and Rooney have been the referee team for one game this postseason. They were holding the whistles for the Panthers Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Team Results Apart From Each Other Here are the results of Herbert's previous games with other referee partners: Game 2 of Dallas Stars/Oilers (3-0 Oilers win) Game 4 of Carolina Hurricanes/Panthers (3-0 Hurricanes) Game 3 of Vegas Golden Knights/Oilers (4-3 Vegas) Game 6 of Panthers/Maple Leafs (2-0 Maple Leafs) Advertisement Here are the results from Rooney's previous games with other referee partners: Game 4 of Stars/Oilers (4-1 Oilers) Game 5 of Stars/Oilers (6-3 Oilers) Game 1 of Maple Leafs/Panthers (5-4 Toronto) Game 4 of Panthers/Tampa Bay Lightning (4-2 Florida) Game 6 of Oilers/Los Angeles Kings (6-4 Oilers) Playoff Record With Each Referee Oilers are 3-0 with Rooney Florida is 2-1 with Rooney Florida is 1-2 with Hebert Oilers are 1-1 with Hebert Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Jonathan Toews Next Team Betting Odds Revealed With Unexpected Frontrunner
Jonathan Toews aims for NHL return with new betting odds revealed for his next team Image Jonathan Toews is officially eyeing an NHL comeback, according to multiple reports and the question becomes: where will the three-time Stanley Cup champion end up? Advertisement After stepping away from the game due to long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, the former Blackhawks captain announced he's ready to return and sportsbooks like FanDuel have already released odds on his potential destination. Before stepping away from hockey, Toews played 53 games during the 2022–23 season, tallying 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. His faceoff percentage remained strong at 63.1%, and he continued to be relied upon in defensive situations. With Toews expressing interest in winning another Cup, speculation has swirled around contenders and potential fits, from his hometown Winnipeg Jets to reunion possibilities with former coaches. Now, bettors can get in on the action and wager on where 'Captain Serious' might suit up next. More NHL: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Betting Preview: Oilers-Panthers Set for Epic Rematch Jonathan Toews Next Team Betting Odds Per FanDuel Sportsbook Winnipeg Jets +210 Toronto Maple Leafs +300 Colorado Avalanche +470 Vegas Golden Knights +650 Edmonton Oilers +1100 Tampa Bay Lightning +1500 Detroit Red Wings +1900 Anaheim Ducks +2200 New York Rangers +3400 Dallas Stars +4500 Los Angeles Kings +4500 Washington Capitals +4500 Minnesota Wild +4500 Florida Panthers +4500 New York Islanders +5000 Calgary Flames +5000 New Jersey Devils +5000 Chicago Blackhawks +5500 Carolina Hurricanes +5500 Boston Bruins +6000 Advertisement More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges Top Contenders in Toews Sweepstakes: Winnipeg Jets (+210) Toews returning to Winnipeg would be a storybook homecoming and could be the final piece for a Jets team poised to contend. The Jets dominated the 2024–25 regular season with a league-best 56–22–4 record, earning the Presidents' Trophy. Kyle Connor led the charge with 97 points, while Connor Hellebuyck secured his second straight Vezina Trophy with elite goaltending. But with captain Adam Lowry sidelined for 5–6 months after hip surgery, the Jets could use Toews' leadership and experience down the middle. If Toews is chasing one more Stanley Cup, few teams offer a better shot than Winnipeg. Anaheim Ducks (+2200) This is a long shot on paper, but offers one of the most intriguing storylines. Anaheim just hired Joel Quenneville, Toews' coach during Chicago's dynasty run, as their new head coach. Advertisement The Ducks are rebuilding, but a veteran like Toews could help mentor young players while giving Quenneville a familiar leader to help establish a new culture in Anaheim. We even outlined this possibility in a previous article about how Toews could fit in Anaheim's system and at +2200 odds, this bet could be a steal. Colorado Avalanche (+470) Colorado remains a perennial Cup contender, and Toews would add playoff-tested depth to a core led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. He wouldn't need to carry the load but could play a crucial shutdown role in key matchups. He'd be joining a roster that already knows how to win. More NHL: New Mitch Marner Next Team Betting Odds Highlight Unexpected Frontrunner Toronto Maple Leafs (+300) It's always a circus in Toronto, but the Leafs remain a team on the cusp. Adding Toews could help tilt the balance, especially given their need for reliable two-way forwards in the postseason. Advertisement Plus, the spotlight would make for a high-profile final act to his career and further solidify his legend status by ending the Maple Leafs' Cup Curse. Vegas Golden Knights (+650) Vegas never shies away from veteran additions and already proved it can win with a deep, physical roster. With some cap gymnastics, Toews could be the next puzzle piece in another deep playoff run. Edmonton Oilers (+1100) If Edmonton doesn't capture the 2025 Stanley Cup, look for them to be aggressive in free agency. Toews could fill a similar role as Corey Perry, who's provided veteran leadership and grit as well as playoff IQ that very few have. Advertisement Toews joining the back-to-back Western Conference Champions would give him one of the best chances to chase a ring alongside Connor McDavid. More NHL: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon Highlighted in 2026 Hart Trophy Odds
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars fire coach Pete DeBoer after losing in West final and pulling Oettinger
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer was fired Friday after three seasons with the team, getting to the Western Conference final each time but never advancing past that for a shot at the Stanley Cup. The move came less than a week since the Stars ended their season in a 6-3 loss at home to Edmonton in Game 5 of the West final. Advertisement DeBoer made the curious and much-discussed decision to bench Jake Oettinger after his star goalie gave up two goals on two shots in the first 7:09. Two days later, the coach acknowledged he still hadn't talked to Oettinger about that decision. 'After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,' longtime general manager Jim Nill said. The Oilers won four consecutive games in the series after the Stars had a five-goal outburst in the third period of Game 1 to win by that same 6-3 score. Dallas became the first team to reach the conference finals three seasons in a row without winning at least one Cup title under the playoff format that began in 1994. The Stars didn't even give themselves a chance to play for one. Advertisement DeBoer, who turns 57 this month, had a 149-68-29 record in regular-season games and 22-17 in the playoffs with the Stars, whose 113 points during the 2023-24 season were just one off the franchise record set by their only Stanley Cup-winning team in 1998-99. He is 662-447-152 overall in 17 seasons with Dallas, New Jersey, Florida, Vegas and San Jose, plus 97-82 in 10 postseason appearances. Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said the day after the season finale that DeBoer was a seasoned coach, top three to top five in the league, and that he didn't see firing DeBoer being on anyone's agenda. Something certainly changed since then with DeBoer, who had one season remaining on his contract. This was the sixth time in seven seasons, with three different teams, that DeBoer took a team to the brink of the Stanley Cup Final. That included the NHL semifinals during the 2021 season with Vegas when there were no conference-based playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement The Stars last went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, the playoff held in the bubble in Canada because of the pandemic. They won the West final that year in five games over DeBoer-coached Vegas. Dallas was led by Rick Bowness, who replaced the fired Jim Montgomery during the season. DeBoer was hired after the Stars moved on from Bowness. ___ AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Edmonton, Alberta, contributed to this report. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
