Matthew Tkachuk explains why Panthers shoot plastic rats at Brad Marchand

Boston Globe

3 days ago

While the tradition might fit Marchand's 'rat' nickname, it certainly is bizarre. Tkachuk isn't sure how it started, but he explained how the team has come to embrace it.
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'I don't actually recall how it started because I wasn't playing in the regular season. I think Marchy played 10, 15 games at the end of the regular season and I wasn't in them,' Tkachuk
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'I think it started with Roddy (Rodrigues). I think E-Rod shot the first one at him, and then Barky was like, 'If you're going to shoot one, then I'll pass one nicely into you.' Then, when I came back, we started firing them at him. So, it's been a fun tradition and people seem to like it. It fits what our team is all about: having fun and not taking anything too seriously.'
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"I don't actually recall how the shooting rats are Brad Marchand got started..
I think it started with Evan Rodrigues shooting the first one and it's been a fun tradition"
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)
Marchand told reporters during the Eastern Conference finals that Rodrigues was also the man behind the celebration. However, Rodrigues isn't sure how the celebration came to be.
'I don't know how it started, but I think the first game he was here, we won, we ended up doing it and it's just kind of become a little bit of a thing,' Rodrigues told reporters.
Marchand has had fun and embraced the celebration. He made a joke about his longstanding 'rat' nickname when he asked why the celebration began during the Eastern Conference finals.
'They see my family on the ice and want us to be together,' Marchand deadpanned.
However, Marchand is starting to feel the effects of getting the plastic rats shot at him after each game as the Panthers have won 12 of their 17 games this postseason.
'Yeah, they're shooting to hurt now,' Marchand told reporters following the Panthers' Game 2 win over the Hurricanes. 'Matthew Tkachuk caught me with one last game that I actually really felt there.'
Still, Marchand wants Tkachuk, Barkov, and Rodrigues to give him their best shots when they fire the plastic rats at him.
'It better hurt like hell today,' Marchand
Marchand, who turned 37 earlier in May, has been one of the Panthers' top stars this postseason. He's scored four goals and tallied 14 points, with the latter being tied for the fourth-most on the team this postseason.
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On top of Marchand's on-ice contributions, Tkachuk believes the former Bruins star is a perfect fit for the Panthers.
'He's been a great addition, not only for his [physical play], but he's such a good player,' Tkachuk told McAfee. 'People don't get to see it too much. I get to see it every day, whether it's in games or practice. He's so skilled and so strong on the puck.
'Then, like you said about him fitting in culturally, I get he was a perfect Boston Bruin for a long time, but it feels like he was born to be a Florida Panther the way he is on and off the ice. So, we're very happy to have him.'
Marchand will look to win his second Stanley Cup when the Panthers take on the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 will take place on Wednesday.