It was about a decade ago when the Florida Panthers were blessed by one of the NHL’s rare ageless wonders. For parts of three seasons, including an incredibly fun 2015-16 campaign, Jaromir Jagr showed hockey fans that age was in fact just a number. At 43 years old, Jagr played on a line with Sasha Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, and the trio continuously lifted each other up. Jagr finished that season with 27 goals and 66 points in 79 games, leading the Panthers to their first Atlantic Division title. Now here we are, 10 years later, and another future Hall of Famer is aiming to follow in Jagr’s footsteps. Brad Marchand will be 37 years old when the upcoming season begins, and by the time the playoffs arrive, he’ll be 38. After being acquired by the Panthers at last year’s Trade Deadline, Marchand was electric for Florida during their run to the Stanley Cup. He signed a six-year extension with the Cats last month, which would keep him playing in Florida until the same ripe age of 43 that Jagr had his magical season in South Florida. According to Marchand, who recently spoke to DJ Siddiqi at RG Media [https://rg.org/news/hockey/marchand-says-bennett-ekblad-extensions-sealed-his-panthers-future], that’s exactly what the plan is. "This contract solidifies that I'm going to play for a long time here, and I have every intention of playing it out," Marchand said in the one-on-one with RG. "Hopefully I can keep up with the young guys here in the next number of years here. It's something I want to hold on to as long as I can. My family loves it." A happy, healthy and motivated Marchand could really thrive on Florida’s roster. We saw during the playoffs how strong he looked, growing instant chemistry with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen and turning Florida’s third line into perhaps their most consistent source of offense. Considering Florida’s top six includes Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett, that’s quite an accomplishment. It’s part of why Marchand wanted to come to the Panthers in the first place. As part of the Boston Bruins, Marchand had seen firsthand exactly how strong of a unit Florida had become, both on the ice and off. It’s something incredibly rare, and with plenty of gas left in the tank, Marchand knew he could make the Panthers even better. "They enjoy being part of it and being part of the relationships that we build every day," Marchand told Siddiqi. "When you get to be part of an incredible organization like Florida, they make it easy to be around. It was the youngest I have felt in a long time walking into that room, the way they do things and the way they take care of themselves in there, I felt very rejuvenated. I'm excited to be part of it for a long time." It will be interesting to see how things play out over the coming years with Marchand in South Florida. The rarity of a hockey player staying in the NHL past 40 does not escape Marchand, or the Panthers, but as an undersized kid from Nova Scotia, the guy they call Marchy has been proving people wrong his entire career. "They're going to have to kick me out of the league for me to go," Marchand said. "I'm going to play until I can't play anymore. When I heard one of my coaches say that, it always stuck with me. The longer you play, you realize how close you are to the finish. It's like you want to hold on to that as long as you can. That was always my mindset, and it is today. I want to play as long as I possibly can." LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida forward Sam Reinhart trending toward having his number retired by Panthers someday [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/CWr2HHxVruAcPeeqeoLS] Florida tan: Panthers name engraved onto Prince of Wales Trophy for third straight season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-tan-panthers-name-engraved-onto-prince-of-wales-trophy-for-third-straight-season] Matthew Tkachuk featured on cover of NHL 26, first Panthers player selected since John Vanbiesbrouck [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-featured-on-cover-of-nhl-26-first-panthers-player-selected-since-john-vanbiesbrouck] Would Panthers' Aleksander Barkov Need to Reach 100 Points To Receive Hart Trophy Consideration? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/would-panthers-aleksander-barkov-need-to-reach-100-points-to-receive-hart-trophy-consideration] Newton native Mackie Samoskevich brings Stanley Cup to Sandy Hook Memorial during hometown visit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/newton-native-mackie-samoskevich-brings-stanley-cup-to-sandy-hook-memorial-during-hometown-visit] Photo caption: Jun 6, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) reacts after scoring a goal on Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)
