In what has been one of the great runs of success in recent NHL memory, the Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons while having also advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last three seasons.
For the second consecutive season, the Panthers reached the top of the hockey universe with a series victory over the Edmonton Oilers, not only capturing their second straight title but also extending the drought of any Canadian NHL team into a 32nd year.
One of the players who mightily helped make Florida’s second title a reality was Brad Marchand, the former captain of the Boston Bruins, who was picked up in a stunning trade with Boston literally minutes before the NHL Trade Deadline expired.
Brad Marchand Hilariously Reveals Other Teams’ Contribution in Florida’s Win
Marchand immediately began to gel with his new Panthers teammates, fitting in perfectly with the physical and pesky style of play that has become the Florida trademark under head coach Paul Maurice.
Marchand, who found the back of the net six times against the Oilers, is living it up after winning the second Stanley Cup championship of his NHL career. On his Instagram handle, he also poked a little bit of fun at teams for giving up on players who contributed to Florida’s success.
Brad Marchand is currently using his IG to thank rival NHL teams for the players they allowed to join the Florida Panthers. The championship celebrations roll on. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/miyX0H45ln
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 20, 2025
He thanked the Flames for trading Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy with 15 postseason goals, to the Panthers in April 2021. Next were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who chose not to re-sign Carter Verhaeghe in 2020; he had seven goals and 16 assists during Florida’s 2025 Cup run.
Third on Marchand’s list was thanking the Flames again, this time for the trade of Matthew Tkachuk in 2022 in the blockbuster trade that sent Mackenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau to the Flames.
Finally, he thanked various teams that previously employed Gustav Forsling, most recently the Carolina Hurricanes; the Panthers claimed him off waivers in 2021. During the postseason, he had a goal and four assists.
Marchand has the chance to become an unrestricted free agent starting on July 1, but he’s sounded open to returning for another go-around with the Panthers to try and help them keep this recent run of good fortune continue. Until then, Marchand has loved every minute of his time with the Panthers.
“It’s incredible, the moments that you look back on, and at the time you don’t appreciate what they could mean at the end of the day,” Marchand said. “The first time we went to Dairy Queen, we just wanted to walk off our dinner, and it became a huge organic moment. To the point where we met up before Game 6 because we needed the luck.”
