Last year, Brad Marchand accomplished a feat that all professional hockey players dream of: hoisting the Stanley Cup trophy.
The long offseason since then has provided Marchand the opportunity to reflect, especially as he approaches his 17th NHL season.
Marchand would be considered one of the greats of this generation if he decided to hang up his skates today. He has won two Stanley Cup championships, taken two trips to the All-Star Game, and landed on the league’s postseason First and Second All-Star Teams two times each. Across 1,100 regular-season games, Marchand has contributed 980 points (424 goals and 556 assists); he also has contributed 158 points (66 goals and 92 assists) in 180 playoff contests.
Marchand’s decision to sign a six-year, $31.5 million contract with the Florida Panthers — the same team that traded for him late in the 2024-25 campaign — this offseason signaled his intention to add to those numbers with the Miami-based organization. But it also demonstrated his desire to extend his playing days as long as possible, as he is under contract until he is 42 (or 43, depending on whether the Panthers make the playoffs in 2030-31).
In an exclusive interview with RG.org’s DJ Siddiqi, Marchand doubled down on his intention to remain with the Panthers for the long haul.
“They’re going to have to kick me out of the league for me to go. I’m going to play until I can’t play anymore,” Marchand said. “When I heard one of my coaches say that, it always stuck with me. The longer you play, you realize how close you are to the finish. It’s like you want to hold on to that as long as you can. That was always my mindset, and it is today. I want to play as long as I possibly can.”
Marchand’s hunger to continue playing is a welcome sign for a Panthers squad looking to become the first team to achieve a championship three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983. The veteran left winger, despite his age, is expected to remain a productive contributor to the team’s success, especially given the combined 24 points (12 goals and 12 assists) he contributed in 33 regular-season and postseason games with the Panthers in 2024-25.
