Bennett reveals Marchand’s first text in Panthers' group chat

Sam Bennett reveals Brad Marchand’s first text in Panthers' group chat

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Spencer Garrett Ostrow | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 4:11 PM ET

Brad Marchand is officially a Florida Panther after spending his entire 16-year NHL career with the Boston Bruins. When contract extension talks fell through, Boston began exploring trade options, ultimately agreeing on a deal with the Panthers just before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

Marchand met with the media in Fort Lauderdale on Monday before the team, coincidentally, traveled to Boston to face the Bruins on Tuesday.

"I've had an incredible run in that organization, and I'm extremely proud. Just how things went there, sorry," Marchand said as he got emotional. "It was very disappointing that things didn't get done, just because, obviously, I love the organization. I wanted to stay there. But, at the end of the day, I also know that business is a business, and every player has a shelf life. And regardless if that's when we want it to be or not, sometimes there's things out of our control that dictate situations. If we were in the playoffs at the point in time, we'd probably be having a much different conversation."

Meanwhile, Panthers center Sam Bennett spoke to the media afterward and shared a behind-the-scenes moment — Marchand’s first text message in the team group chat after the trade.

"As soon as we added him in the group chat, he was chirping," Bennett said. "His first message with a chirp, right away. You love that. It breaks the ice. That's just who he is, and we're excited to have that personality here."

Bennett and Marchand have built a rivalry over the past few years. One standout moment came during last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs when Bennett inadvertently caught Marchand in the jaw, forcing him to miss Games 4 and 5 of the series.

Now, the two are officially teammates after briefly sharing a line for Canada at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Marchand is currently out on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and isn’t expected to make his Panthers debut for a few more weeks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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