Brad Marchand Had Heartfelt Words For 'incredible' Bruins Fans After Emotional Return

In his first-ever crippled facing nan Bruins arsenic an opponent, Brad Marchand felt nan love. Marchand, who spent nan first 16 seasons of his NHL profession successful Boston, returned to nan metropolis arsenic a personnel of nan back-to-back defending-champion Panthers and received a hero's invited from nan loving fanbase, including a tribute video successful nan first play that near nan erstwhile longtime Bruin struggling to clasp backmost tears arsenic he watched from nan chair during a stoppage successful play.

Returning to nan crystal moments later, Marchand received large cheers from nan fans astatine TD Garden for astir 2 minutes. After nan game, Marchand gave immoderate emotion correct backmost to ther Bruins fanbase.

"Yeah I knew it was going to deed maine nan measurement it did," Marchand said of nan Bruins' tribute video. "It was highly touching. I'm truthful grateful for nan infinitesimal and very appreciative for it for what nan Bruins did to benignant of put that together and nan emotion and support nan fans person shown me, not conscionable coming but passim my full profession here.

"I ever loved playing present and putting nan jersey connected and wearing my bosom connected my sleeve. This is simply a hardworking city, and I deliberation group admit that. I emotion nan fans here, they're special, they're an unthinkable group."

But, amusingly enough, it wasn't all emotion from nan Bruins' faithful. The hard-nosed Marchand, who earned nan nickname The Rat for his often beingness play, drew a tripping punishment conscionable 33 seconds into nan game—and heard it from nan crowd.

"I was benignant of laughing later successful nan crippled because I deliberation I sewage booed location astatine 1 point," Marchand said. "I knew it wouldn't return long."

The struggling Bruins dealt Marchand, nan past remaining personnel of nan team's 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, to nan Panthers successful March of 2025. And moreover though Marchand told reporters that he has "found thing really typical again" successful Florida, it's clear really overmuch nan Bruins still mean to him.

"Those tears are real," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said during an in-game interview. "He conscionable wears his bosom connected his sleeve. He had truthful galore awesome moments here, won a Stanley Cup here. He'll ever beryllium a Bruin astatine heart."

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