It's still a strange sight for fans of the Boston Bruins to see former team captain Brad Marchand wearing the colors of another franchise, but team management decided to send him to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline after being unable to come to terms on a new contract.

While Marchand can enter free agency on July 1, he's still got work to do with the Panthers, who are now a lone victory away from advancing to their third consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup Final. Marchand scored during Saturday night's Game 3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, a 6-2 final score marked by a third period offensive explosion.

In what has become a new tradition for Marchand since being acquired, his teammates like to shoot a few of the plastic rats that litter the ice in his direction near the bench after victories. When asked about it, Marchand said that he actually grabs a few of them to take home during an interview with Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas.

“I normally just grab one, someone asked for one and they're a nice little keepsake that we're not used to. A lot of friends and family have asked for some keepsakes. The kids love them, the family loves them, so they're all around the house right now. ”

Marchand and the Panthers are now a win away from what would be the franchise's third consecutive Eastern Conference Final victory.

Brad Marchand was traded to Panthers after Bruins contract talks fell apart

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Marchand joined the team that not only shocked the Bruins with a seven-game series win to end their record-breaking 65 victory season in 2023-24, but followed that up with another postseason series victory the following spring.

He was acquired by the Panthers from the Bruins, who received a conditional second round pick in return. The deal shocked and angered Bruins fans, most of whom expected Marchand to remain with the organization for his entire career.

Marchand was a rookie on the 2010-11 Bruins club that won the Stanley Cup; Marchand scored twice in the deciding Game 7 over the Vancouver Canucks on June 15, 2011 at Rogers Arena. But his tenure with the team ended after contract negotiations between himself and Bruins management failed to result in a new deal in line with what Marchand was looking for.

Still, he'll be looking for his second career Stanley Cup this spring, and he's one win away from getting a fourth opportunity to play in the Finals.