HIGHLIGHTS
- Brad Marchand inked a six-year extension with the Panthers this offseason
- The veteran revealed Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett staying put were key reasons in him following suit
- Keep reading to see Marchand’s full comments
The Florida Panthers are well-equipped for another Stanley Cup run in 2026, re-signing all of their key free agents this offseason after taking down the Edmonton Oilers in the Finals.
Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett quickly signed new deals with the Cats following the team’s second straight championship before the final domino dropped. Brad Marchand, who was garnering tons of interest on the open market, decided to put pen to paper on a six-year extension worth $31.5 million.
Speaking to DJ Siddiqi of RG.org in an exclusive interview, Marchand made it very clear that Florida running it back with Ekblad and Bennett was critical in his decision to ink a new deal with the defending champs:
“Bennett and E coming back were huge factors in me staying,” said Marchand. “Those guys are awesome, guys that I really vibe with well, and I really wanted to stay there. I just didn’t really think it was going to be possible. I didn’t pay a ton of attention to the cap situation they were in, but I knew that we were up against it.”
All three were absolutely vital in the Panthers’ victory in the Cup Finals, but it’s hard to ignore how much of an impact Marchand on his own made in the playoffs. Despite playing minimal games in the regular season after coming over from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline, the veteran exploded in the postseason.
He registered 10 goals and 10 assists, including six goals in the Finals alone. Marchand made his presence felt on both ends of the rink. Bennett, of course, won the Conn Smythe and also showed out in the Finals.
The 37-year-old Marchand will see his new contract run out at 43 years old, and he has every intention of playing it out, saying they will have to kick him out of the league first:
“They’re going to have to kick me out of the league for me to go,” said Marchand, via RG. “I’m going to play until I can’t play anymore. 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.”
On and off the ice, Marchand has been a wonderful addition to the Panthers, and they’re undoubtedly happy to have him around. With a young, talented core intact, the dynasty could just be getting started in South Florida.
