Mar 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) looks on against the Utah Hockey Club during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d607c68a-084c-48f6-b514-acab72a91d1e.jpeg] Mar 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) looks on against the Utah Hockey Club during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) It was quite a night on Friday at Amerant Bank Arena, one that fans had been anticipating for several weeks. That’s because superstar forward Brad Marchand made his debut as a member of the Florida Panthers. Florida acquired the future Hall of Famer at the NHL Trade Deadline back on March 8 in a shocking move that came in literally moments before the 3 p.m. buzzer. In the time since, Marchand has been working his way back from an upper-body injury that he suffered about a week before the trade. Between skating with the team on the ice and attending meetings and working out off the ice, Marchand has had a chance to acclimate himself to his new surroundings. That feeling of familiarity was finally extended to the fans on Friday, and they gave Marchand some very loud ovations, starting with the moment his name was announced as part of the starting lineup. It was appropriate that the night started with Marchand causing the fans to get loud, because that’s exactly how it would end. Marchand was on the ice during overtime with the puck on his stick, and it was the newest Panthers player who made a perfect pass to Sam Bennett that was backhanded into the net to win the game for Florida. After celebrating with his teammates, Marchand picked up a couple plastic rats off the ice before heading into the locker room, which he later explained was something he promised his children he would do. The 36-year-old finished the game with an assist, a plus-1 on-ice rating and four shots on goal. He played 16 minutes and 30 seconds split over 22 shifts that included work on Florida’s second power play unit. Following the game, Marchand spoke to the South Florida media. He is everything he had to say: On the overtime goal: “In our D-zone, great read by (Forsling) to pick off that pass and try to make a play on the rush. (Bennett) did a great job, kind of stopping in a position to for me to get it to him and made a great play.” On making an immediate impact in his first game: “It's great to get the win and be part of that with the guys. They compete so hard here, and it’s just nice to get out there and feel like you're part of it. It's tough watching in a position like this, but great to be out there with them again.” On picking up a couple rats while heading off the ice: “It was one of the things that my kids said. Right away, they were asking about the rats being thrown out there, and I was like, I don't know when it happens, but if it does, I'll grab a couple. So I did.” On spending the past three weeks with the Panthers: “It’s tough. You want to be with the group right away. It's the best way to build chemistry, build relationships and find your game on the ice with a group. It's tough on your own, and we're traveling, and my schedule is different than the group, but I was just trying to spend as much time with the with the team as I can. The coaching staff was awesome, they brought me in for all the meetings, pre games, so I could just kind of get accustomed to the way they did things around here, which definitely helped me feel more comfortable coming in today. It's such a great group to come in to, everybody's so welcoming and really, really good group in the room, which made the transition very easy.” On if it’s starting to feel normal being with the Panthers: “It was still different today. It's the first time I've done a pregame skate at home, the schedule is a lot different than even what it was on the road, so even little things like that, that you're not accustomed to. Every day that goes by, I’m feeling much more comfortable and much more part of the group. And when you play and you're in everything day to day, it definitely helps that happen quicker. So yeah, I'm excited to continue to build with the group here.” On his first message in the Panthers group chat being a chirp: “That's just how I am, and I'm not going to change now, but it's a great group to do that. There's a lot of banter in the room, and you see why they've had so much success last few years, with how close they are and the way that they work and compete every day. When you have a group like that, they accept people in and make them feel part of the group really quickly.” On the importance of the final 10 games of the regular season: “I want to try to get as many games in here as possible and really feel comfortable with the group and try to get used to the system and the way our lines are going to play; they shuffle things around a lot here. Just getting up to speed with the way they do things and everything, the more time on the ice is definitely very beneficial.” On playing his first game for a team other than Boston: “It was odd when I stepped on the ice. That was the first time it kind of hit me. Going out there and being cheered by Panthers fans was a lot different, but it's a great feeling. It's not often that 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, and you know when you walk into a special room, and that's what they have here, and that’s what you want to be part of. There's not many teams that are legit contenders each year, and when you walk in the room, the way they talk about the game, the way they talk about working, competing and showing up every day, there's a reason why they're as good as they are, and you want to be part of that. It's something special, and you don't get it every day, and the longer you're around and the quicker it goes by, you realize how special it is. So I feel very fortunate and excited to be part of this group.” On playing the Panthers’ style of hockey for the first time: “I love the way that the team competes and how calm they are in every moment of the game. They just have that confidence and swagger all the way through, and it's contagious in the group and in the room, so I love that aspect of it. But from day one coming in here, I've always loved the way guys compete, and the way they work, how they take care of themselves. 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