Brad Marchand makes feelings known about the possibility of playing in Canada

Brad Marchand has been considering the possibility of playing for a Canadian NHL team after his contract expires at the end of this season.

After spending his entire career with the Boston Bruins since being drafted in 2006, the veteran winger was traded to the Florida Panthers at the deadline. With his contract expiring after the 2024-25 season, he’s set to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Speaking on "Hockey Night in Canada" with Elliotte Friedman, Marchand said:

"Anything was on the table, yeah, I mean, I'm going to listen to anything, we'll deal with it when the time comes, and we'll see what the right fit is for you." (1:42 onwards)

Now in the Stanley Cup Final with Florida, Marchand, 37, is focused on the present but understands decisions about his future are looming.

"I mean, I have over the past months, I've thought about, you know, potential situations, but till you really know what options are like, it's all theoretical,” Marchand said.

Marchand is focused on the moment and enjoying the Stanley Cup Final experience. He acknowledged that once the playoffs end, things will move quickly, but there will be a time and place to deal with that later.

Marchand has been spectacular this postseason, scoring four goals and tallying 10 assists in 17 games.

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Brad Marchand reveals how new Florida Panthers teammate Aaron Ekblad reacted to his move

Brad Marchand has said that many of his new Panthers teammates were not thrilled to have him join the team. Specifically, he cited defenseman Aaron Ekblad as someone he has battled with over the years.

When Elliotte Friedman asked which Panthers player surprised him the most after joining the team—someone he didn’t expect to like—Brad Marchand said it was pretty much all of them.

"All of them, there's a lot of guys that I just wanted to wring their neck, you know, and you get in the room and you like, even the first time I met (Aaron) Ekblad,” Marchand said. (0:59 onwards)

Brad Marchand said when he first met Ekblad after the trade, Ekblad walked up to him, shook his head, and said, "This is so weird" before walking away. However, over time, Marchand has been able to win over his new teammates.

He says Ekblad, in particular, has gone from being hated to now being one of his best buddies on the team.