Brad Marchand is a Stanley Cup champion once again, this time with Florida Panthers
For the second time in his career, Brad Marchand got to lift the Stanley Cup high into the air. But this time he was not wearing a Boston Bruins sweater.
Marchand capped off a wild 2024-25 season by helping the Florida Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup title. The former Bruins captain received one of the biggest ovations in Sunrise, Florida on Tuesday night as he celebrated on the ice after the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers, 5-1, to clinch the Cup.
He lifted Lord Stanley's chalice high above his head and gave it a smooch, just as Marchand did 14 years ago when he helped the Boston Bruins win a title at the end of the 2011 season.
Marchand's first moment of glory happened when he was just a sparky -- but extremely impactful -- rookie. In between his first and latest championship, he had to feel the sting of the other side with two Cup Final losses with Boston.
Now 37, Marchand said he embraced every second of this latest title run.
"I definitely appreciate it way more," he told ESPN on the ice Tuesday night. "I mean, when you enter your first year you don't understand how difficult it is and the trials and tribulations you have to go through to be part of something like this. I've embraced every second of this. It's been incredible."
.@emilymkaplan with Brad Marchand after winning the Stanley Cup for the second time 👏 pic.twitter.com/lTa0f7TUCd — ESPN (@espn) June 18, 2025
Watching Marchand hoist the Cup makes for a bittersweet moment for Bruins fans. Just a few months ago, Marchand was hoping to get a contract from the Bruins that would let him finish his career in Boston. But with the two sides at a stalemate and the Bruins' season spiraling down the drain, GM Don Sweeney traded Marchand to the Panthers at the March 7 deadline for what is now a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028.
While no Boston fan wants to see the Panthers celebrate another championship, it's a little easier to digest when Marchand got to be a part of the festivities.
Brad Marchand's impact with the Panthers
Marchand was no passenger during his latest Cup run. He was downright dominant at times, finishing his postseason with 10 goals and 10 assists over 23 games.
He scored six of his goals in the Cup Final against the Oilers, highlighted by a two-goal outburst in Game 2. Marchand tallied Florida's overtime-winner in that game, which was his second game-winner of the postseason. Marchand also potted the game-winning goal in Game 3 of Florida's second-round series against the Maple Leafs.
Marchand had 11 goals and eight assists for the Bruins in Boston's Cup run 14 years ago. This summer, he joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in NHL history to score at least five goals in multiple Stanley Cup Finals since the end of the Original Six era. He's the only player to score at least five goals for two different teams in the Cup Finals.
Marchand was an essential piece of the puzzle for Florida's title run, which will only strengthen his Hall of Fame resume and likely lead to a nice payday when he hits free agency this summer.
One thing is clear: No matter the sweater, Brad Marchand always shines bright in the biggest moments on the ice.
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