Brad Marchand makes feelings known on Panthers’ warm welcome in his debut

By ARJUN B

Modified Mar 29, 2025 03:41 GMT

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Brad Marchand received a warm welcome from Florida Panthers fans in his debut with the team on Friday against the Utah Hockey Club. Marchand, who was traded from Boston three weeks ago, had yet to play for the Panthers due to an upper-body injury. But he finally made his debut on Friday, skating on the second line alongside Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.

Marchand was greeted with loud cheers from the Panthers faithful during warmups. He flipped a puck into the stands as a keepsake for a lucky fan. His introduction to the starting lineup garnered the loudest ovation of any Florida player.

After the game, Marchand shared his thoughts on the Florida fans' reception (Start at 4:26):

"Being cheered by Panthers fans was a lot different, but it’s a great feeling," Brad Marchand said. "It’s not often you get to be part of a group like this. I’ve been on a lot of teams throughout the years, and you know when you have something special."

The Panthers ended up defeating the Utah Hockey Club 2-1 in overtime, with Marchand picking up an assist on the game-winning goal scored by Bennett.

Marchand praised the Panthers organization and his new teammates:

"There's not many teams that are legit contenders each year… The way they talk about the game, the way they talk about working, competing and showing up every day... I feel very fortunate and excited to be part of this group," Marchand said.

With his overtime assist, Marchand joined Aleksi Heponiemi as the only Panthers players to record an overtime point in their debut with the club.

After the final buzzer, Brad Marchand collected some of the toy rats thrown by fans to celebrate the win, saying he wanted to bring them home for his kids who had asked for them.

Sam Bennett impressed by Brad Marchand's dominant debut with Panthers

Sam Bennett was full of praise for his new teammate, Brad Marchand. Despite being sidelined for over a month, Marchand stepped onto the ice and immediately made his presence felt. (Start at 5:51)

“He hasn’t played for a month now and he steps right in and is dominating and controlling the game. That’s tough to do in your first game back, especially on a new team. I think he’s going to fit here real, real nice.” Bennett said.

With the win, the Panthers have climbed to the top of the Atlantic Division with 91 points, edging ahead of the Maple Leafs, who sit at 90. Up next, they’ll take on the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.