Latest news with #BradMarchand
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Comparing The 2024-25 GM Moves Of The Panthers And Oilers Ahead Of The Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will meet in the Stanley Cup final for the second-straight season, beginning Wednesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. It marks the first time that the same two clubs have met in consecutive years since Pittsburgh and Detroit in 2008 and 2009, but there has been an evolution of each club since they faced each other a year ago. While the core groups of each club are the same, the Panthers started the season with nine players who played on their championship squad departing via free agency or retirement. Florida GM Bill Zito faced the challenge of restocking the shelves with limited cap space. Advertisement Zito plugged some of the holes last summer with bargain free agent veteran forwards Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and defenseman Nate Schmidt, while also giving larger roles to youngster Mackie Samoskevich and Latvian blueliner Uvis Balinskis. Where Zito worked some magic was at the trade deadline, taking advantage of being able to place injured forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve to create cap space. Florida filled a gaping hole on the right side of their blueline created by the departure of Brandon Montour with the acquisition of Seth Jones from Chicago, and dealt a conditional 2027 pick to Boston for Brad Marchand. Jones has been a minutes-eater on defense and stepped up in the series-deciding victory over Toronto, while Marchand has 14 points in the post-season playing on the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. Bill Zito (Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) The Oilers went through a managerial reshuffle last summer, moving on from Ken Holland and hiring three-time Cup-winning GM Stan Bowman. Edmonton's CEO of Hockey Operations, Jeff Jackson, took over as interim GM in early July, and the moves he made (signing veteran forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, and trading center Ryan McLeod for prospect Matthew Savoie) were less than spectacular. Advertisement Bowman lost youngsters Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to St. Louis on offer sheets and had to swap veteran blueliner Cody Ceci to San Jose for Ty Emberson to open up cap space. But he made several useful depth additions early on, such as acquiring winger Vasili Podkolzin from Vancouver for a fourth-round pick, claiming Kasperi Kapanen off of waivers from the Blues, and signing veteran defenseman John Klingberg as a free agent in January. Edmonton used long-term injured reserve to their benefit at the deadline, keeping Evander Kane on LTIR until the playoffs, which enabled them to bolster their blueline with the acquisition of Jake Walman from San Jose, as well as adding rugged forward Trent Frederic from Boston. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Want my captain back': Bruins' fans spark a debate as Brad Marchand leads the Florida Panthers to Stanley Cup Finals
Brad Marchand, the former captain of the Boston Bruins, spent sixteen years with the team before he was traded to the Florida Panthers. While the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes and have reached the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in a row, many Bruins' fans are unable to believe that Brad Marchand is no longer a part of their team. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Brad Marchand leads the Florida Panthers to the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals but Bruins' fans want him back Recently, a fan account of Brad Marchand made a post on X that read as, 'don sweeney i hope you are miserable for the rest of your life and that the bruins never win anything as long as you're a gm for what you did to brad marchand' and this has sparked a debate. A fan commented, 'Letting players leave for nothing is exactly a reason the bruins have no depth in prospects. He actually did the right thing', while another fan wrote, 'Sweeney could've held onto him and continued contract negotiations and maybe Canada would've made it to the final instead of Switzerland..' A third fan wrote, 'I'm glad he's doing well in Florida but I just want my captain back!' However, some fans have supported the Boston Bruins' move to trade Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. A fan wrote, 'Wrong. When a long term deal wasn't in the cards, Marchand wanted a chance at another Cup. Sweeney did him a favor and wrangled a deal with Marchand's team of choice to pursue a Cup without much leverage on trade deadline day. If he gets his Cup, you may see him return as C for the Bs.' Another fan commented, 'Sweeney did him a solid, they couldn't agree on new deal and moved him to contender , its wasn't marchand's fault the bad drafting and roster management caught up to Sweeney.' While joining a new team might have been tough for Brad Marchand in the initial few weeks, the star player is now having the time of his life in the Florida Panthers. Now, all eyes are on the Florida Panthers as the team is all set to face the Edmonton Oilers for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday. Also Read:
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Brad Marchand is grateful yet emotional as the unexpected Stanley Cup Final return nears
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) 1 2 Brad Marchand's a moment laced with emotion, as now he is one series away from possibly lifting the Cup again, wearing a jersey he never expected to wear. This year marks Marchand's fourth appearance in the Final. Unlike his previous runs with the Bruins, this one comes after a surprising trade at the NHL deadline. The Panthers took a bold step by acquiring him on March 7. Since then, he has seamlessly blended into Florida's postseason machinery. His performance speaks volumes: four goals, 14 points, and a plus-11 rating in 17 playoff games. But behind the numbers is a player working through a mix of emotions. Grateful but surprised by the Panthers' journey Marchand has not hidden his surprise about how the last few months have unfolded. While his contributions on the ice have been vital for Florida, off the ice, he continues to process the unexpected nature of his move. For a player who wore the Bruins sweater for over a decade and a half, changing cities and colors wasn't easy. He acknowledges the rarity of this opportunity and how special it is to still be playing at this level. The Panthers have welcomed him, and he has delivered the veteran leadership and playoff edge they hoped for. Still, the shift from Boston to Florida was more than just a change of scenery. Though he may not have pictured himself in this role with Florida, he is determined to make the most of it. Marchand's Florida impact felt in every shift Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers (Credit: Getty Image) Since joining the Panthers, Marchand has elevated an already strong team. His two-way play and playoff poise have been critical in Florida's run back to the Final. Now, as they prepare to face the Edmonton Oilers, his presence looms large. Read more: Darche embraces the Islanders' challenge with a vision to build a perennial playoff contender Whether he ends the season hoisting the Cup or not, Marchand's 2024 journey stands as a powerful reminder of how quickly things can change in hockey and how grace and grit can carry a player through.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Marchand says he's going to savor this trip to Cup final, knowing the chance isn't guaranteed again
Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) drives against Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) and goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the first Period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Brad Marchand won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins when he was 23. He and the Bruins played for it again when he was 25 and 31. He wondered if he would ever return to the title round. At 37 — and with the Florida Panthers — he's gotten there. And this time, Marchand is making sure he savors the chance. Over 1,274 games in his career, including playoffs, there are some memories that escape Marchand now. There are some moments that he acknowledges taking for granted, moments where he didn't use an extra second or two to appreciate being part of. That won't happen now, he insists, since Marchand knows he's much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. 'It's more like enjoying each day like, having fun when you come to the rink,' Marchand said. 'It can be stressful when you start overthinking things, start looking ahead or the pressure sometimes you put on yourself. This time around, I'm coming to the rink every day and just having fun and trying to live in the moment. You know, not taking anything too seriously.' Except the hockey, that is. Marchand is incredibly serious about the task at hand — which resumes Wednesday night when Marchand and the Panthers open the Stanley Cup Final at Edmonton. It's a rematch of last season's Panthers-Oilers series, one that Florida won in seven games. It wasn't difficult to envision a rematch when that series ended. But there's probably nobody on the planet who would have thought the rematch would include the former Boston captain playing for Florida. 'This is special,' Marchand said. 'You don't get a lot of opportunities to be part of something like this.' The Panthers are 8-2 in the playoffs when Marchand gets a point, 4-3 when he doesn't. They're 9-1 when he logs at least 15 1/2 minutes of ice time in the playoffs, 3-4 when he doesn't. It's clear: At his age, he still impacts winning with his hands and his voice. 'Guys that are vocal and intense sometimes will get up and down your bench screaming at your bench, right? They just get so wired in the game and he never does that. It's always positive,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. 'It's always, 'Stay in there, hang in there.' ... It's bordering on legendary status at this point. He's pumping their tires and he's just, every day, excited. It's his personality.' There is a very clear silly side as well. Marchand made a trip to Dairy Queen on an off day with teammates essentially become a three-day story by saying he had one of their desserts between periods of a game against Carolina. (He didn't, the snack was honey, not a Blizzard.) He has been chirping teammates from the day he arrived in Florida. He embraces how teammates shoot the toy rats — a Panthers tradition that goes back to 1996 — at him after games, even calling it a family reunion once in a subtle nod to his 'rat' nickname. He keeps it light, until it's time not to. If there's a scrum on the ice, he'll be involved. If a teammate needs backup, he'll be there. A chance at the Cup might not come again, and Marchand — who came to Florida at the trade deadline in a stunner of a move — is vowing that this opportunity won't be wasted. 'I may never get back this late in playoffs ever again in my career,' Marchand said. 'To be one of the last teams standing and being part of a great group of guys, these are memories that I want to remember and enjoy. I don't remember some of the series that I played and I know that there's moments that I missed out on or didn't really appreciate because I was worried about other things or stressing about other things. I'm not going to do that to myself this time around.' Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
National Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Marchand says he's going to savor trip to Cup final, knowing nothing guaranteed
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Brad Marchand won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins when he was 23. He and the Bruins played for it again when he was 25 and 31. He wondered if he would ever return to the title round. Article content Article content At 37 — and with the Florida Panthers — he's gotten there. Article content And this time, Marchand is making sure he savors the chance. Article content Over 1,274 games in his career, including playoffs, there are some memories that escape Marchand now. There are some moments that he acknowledges taking for granted, moments where he didn't use an extra second or two to appreciate being part of. That won't happen now, he insists, since Marchand knows he's much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Article content Article content 'It's more like enjoying each day like, having fun when you come to the rink,' Marchand said. 'It can be stressful when you start overthinking things, start looking ahead or the pressure sometimes you put on yourself. This time around, I'm coming to the rink every day and just having fun and trying to live in the moment. You know, not taking anything too seriously.' Article content Except the hockey, that is. Article content Marchand is incredibly serious about the task at hand _ which resumes Wednesday night when Marchand and the Panthers open the Stanley Cup Final at Edmonton. It's a rematch of last season's Panthers-Oilers series, one that Florida won in seven games. It wasn't difficult to envision a rematch when that series ended. But there's probably nobody on the planet who would have thought the rematch would include the former Boston captain playing for Florida. Article content 'This is special,' Marchand said. 'You don't get a lot of opportunities to be part of something like this.' Article content The Panthers are 8-2 in the playoffs when Marchand gets a point, 4-3 when he doesn't. They're 9-1 when he logs at least 15 1/2 minutes of ice time in the playoffs, 3-4 when he doesn't. It's clear: At his age, he still impacts winning with his hands and his voice. Article content Article content 'Guys that are vocal and intense sometimes will get up and down your bench screaming at your bench, right? They just get so wired in the game and he never does that. It's always positive,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. 'It's always, 'Stay in there, hang in there.' … It's bordering on legendary status at this point. He's pumping their tires and he's just, every day, excited. It's his personality.' Article content There is a very clear silly side as well. Article content Marchand made a trip to Dairy Queen on an off day with teammates essentially become a three-day story by saying he had one of their desserts between periods of a game against Carolina. (He didn't, the snack was honey, not a Blizzard.) He has been chirping teammates from the day he arrived in Florida. He embraces how teammates shoot the toy rats — a Panthers tradition that goes back to 1996 — at him after games, even calling it a family reunion once in a subtle nod to his 'rat' nickname. Article content He keeps it light, until it's time not to. If there's a scrum on the ice, he'll be involved. If a teammate needs backup, he'll be there. A chance at the Cup might not come again, and Marchand — who came to Florida at the trade deadline in a stunner of a move — is vowing that this opportunity won't be wasted. Article content 'I may never get back this late in playoffs ever again in my career,' Marchand said. 'To be one of the last teams standing and being part of a great group of guys, these are memories that I want to remember and enjoy. I don't remember some of the series that I played and I know that there's moments that I missed out on or didn't really appreciate because I was worried about other things or stressing about other things. I'm not going to do that to myself this time around.' Article content
