Brad Marchand makes shocking admission on being traded from Boston Bruins to Panthers - "I'm in a position to play for cup" 

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jun 05, 2025 15:21 GMT

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On Thursday, Brad Marchand spoke about being traded from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers. On the "32 Thoughts" podcast, he shared how difficult the situation was. He said it’s not easy to give one clear answer about the trade. Marchand discussed how much his family loves Boston, noting that they have built a life there and still plan to live there in the future.

“I think that’s a tough question to answer with one specific thing,” he said (54:00 onwards). “There’s just so many different things that go into that answer.”

He admitted the move may not have been the best for his personal life. But he believes it made sense for his hockey career. Marchand said he’s a competitive person who wants to win. Playing for the Panthers gives him a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.

“We absolutely love it there. You know, we’ll live there down the road,” he said. “Can I say it’s the best thing for me? Maybe not. For hockey-wise? Yeah, absolutely at this point.”

The beginning of the 2024–25 season was stressful for him. The Bruins had high hopes but struggled early. They fired coach Jim Montgomery in November. Brad Marchand and the team also couldn’t agree on a new contract. That made things even more difficult.

As the trade deadline approached, the Bruins started making big moves. They traded Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo. Then, at the last moment, they traded Marchand to Florida.

On his side, Marchand admitted he could have handled things better during the season.

Looking back, he feels grateful for the opportunity in Florida. He said everything that happened this year helped him grow and that he learned to appreciate the moment and not take anything for granted.

He won a Stanley Cup in 2011 with Boston and played in the Finals in 2013 and 2019. Now, he’s getting ready for his fourth Stanley Cup Final. It’s his first as a member of the Panthers. Brad Marchand said he was nervous about the trade but happy to be in Florida.

"I was nervous as anything to move and to not really know, was expected or not know was coming, but I loved every second of being here as well. So it, it's a win win," Marchand said.

Oilers' Corey Perry explained Brad Marchand's mindset during games

Before Game 1 on Thursday, Corey Perry spoke about Brad Marchand during media day in Edmonton. He said they played together at the World Championships and the World Cup. Perry called Marchand a tremendous guy, but said things change once the puck drops.

"I've played with Marchy in a couple of tournaments," Perry said on Tuesday. "He's a tremendous guy. When the puck drops, there's a switch that flips inside and things just happen. That's the way we're built. Just the way our mind works."

Perry believes this playing style comes naturally to them. He is now in his sixth Stanley Cup Final and second straight with the Oilers.

The Oilers took Game 1 with a 4-3 win over Florida at home on Wednesday.