Brad Marchand opens up about getting teary-eyed during his heartwarming Bruins video tribute

Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand opened up about becoming emotional during a heartwarming video tribute at Boston's TD Garden.

On Tuesday, Marchand made his first appearance at the arena as a visitor since being traded from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 trade deadline.

The 37-year-old forward, who spent 16 seasons with the Bruins and served as their captain for one year, was overwhelmed by the affection from fans. Visibly moved to tears during the tribute video, Marchand said:

"I was trying not to cry. ...As soon as I saw my kids on the screen, it kind of hit like a ton of bricks. I love the fans here. They're special."

Brad Marchand also shared a humorous remark about what was going through his mind during the tribute video at TD Garden.

"Man, I had some bad haircuts when I was younger," he added.

Marchand was drafted No. 71 overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2006 NHL draft. The four-time All-Star racked up 976 points through 422 goals and 544 assists during his 16-year tenure with the Spoked B, and also won a Stanley Cup with them in 2011.

Brad Marchand powers Panthers to victory over Bruins in his return to TD Garden

On Tuesday, Brad Marchand's pair of assists powered the Panthers to a 4-3 win over the Bruins in his return to TD Garden.

Mackie Samoskevich opened the scoring for the Florida Panthers on the power play at 1:01 of the first period. In the second period, A.J. Greer increased the Panthers’ lead to 2-0 at 2:01.

Pavel Zacha cut the Panthers’ lead to 2-1, scoring for the Boston Bruins at 2:46 of the second period. Just over a minute later, Elias Lindholm tied the game at 2-2 on the power play for Boston at 3:50.

Eetu Luostarinen restored the Panthers’ lead to 3-2 at 9:58. At 18:29, Morgan Geekie tied it at 3-3 for the Bruins before Carter Verhaeghe’s goal at 19:34 of the third period sealed a 4-3 victory for the Panthers.

Brad Marchand and the Panthers play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The puck at Amerant Bank Arena drops at 7 p.m. ET.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta

Brad Marchand opens up about getting teary-eyed during his heartwarming Bruins video tribute - "I was trying not to cry"

Brad Marchand powers Panthers to victory over Bruins in his return to TD Garden