- Brad Marchand fired back at Gary Bettman’s comments on no-trade clauses
- The Panthers winger says the rules only cut one way for players
- Read below for Marchand’s full response and Bettman’s video comments
Brad Marchand isn’t buying what Gary Bettman is selling on no-trade clauses.
The Panthers winger took to Instagram after the commissioner said players have pushed the clauses past their original purpose. Marchand pointed out that teams sign players long term and then move them all the time.
“lol this goes both ways. I guess it’s ok if a team signs you to A long term deal and wants to trade you but not if you want out during that term. Broken system”
We grabbed his comment and put it up Friday morning:
Bettman’s comments came Thursday on Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show. He was asked about the stars who forced their way out this offseason, and he didn’t love the trend. In his view, the clauses were meant to protect a player who wanted to stay somewhere, not to let him demand a trade and then choose where he lands.
Watch the commissioner’s comments in the video:
Marchand knows the other side of that deal better than most. Boston traded its captain to Florida at the 2025 deadline after extension talks went nowhere, ending a run of more than 15 years with the only NHL team he’d ever played for.
Things worked out pretty well for him. He won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers that June and signed a six-year extension to stay in Sunrise. The Bruins, meanwhile, eventually handed the C to David Pastrnak.
This summer gave Bettman plenty of examples to point to. Brady Tkachuk steered his way from Ottawa to Florida to join his brother. Dylan Larkin asked out of Detroit with a short list of destinations, and Connor Hellebuyck skipped Jets camp while waiting on a move.
Nothing is changing yet. Bettman said one offseason doesn’t make a problem, but he’d take it to the NHLPA if the trend continues. If that conversation ever happens, Marchand already made his side of the argument pretty clear.
