Brad Marchand returned to the TD Garden ice, but not as a member of the Boston Bruins. Instead, he was wearing a Florida Panthers practice jersey, which was his first practice with the team after the trade that rocked the NHL. Though sidelined with an injury, Marchand still took those familiar steps onto the ice, and even he admitted, “Definitely still a little bit that I’ve got to get through here… It still felt weird.” After being a part of the Boston community for 16 years, seeing him in any other color than black and gold had Bruins fans doing a double take.

However, Marchand did not even have to lace up his skates for a game night to make an impact. Right as he made his return, the Boston Bruins went ahead and shattered a 16-year-old franchise record, almost as if the hockey gods wanted to mark the occasion. Coincidence? Maybe. But it was still fun to see Marchand’s impact on the game even if it was just from the bench at TD Garden.

Boston Bruins break a record!

Bruins Breakdown hit up X on March 11 with a stat that had Boston fans feeling some type of way. “For the first time since the 08-09 season, the #NHLBruins take the ice at TD Garden without Brad Marchand on their roster.” Yeah, you read that right. The TD Garden lights flickered on, the Bruins suited up, but for the first time in forever, No. 63 wasn’t in the mix. All those years of grit, chirps, and clutch plays—and now, just like that, a new era begins.

Brad Marchand was not only a player for the Boston Bruins but the face of the team, a true black-and-gold warrior for 16 consecutive years. The name is engraved in Bruins history as he played 1,090 games, scored 422 goals, and 976 points. He’s been a scoring machine, racking up 20-goal seasons like it’s second nature—12 in a row, to be exact. Oh, and that shiny Stanley Cup from 2011? Yeah, he earned that one in true Marchand fashion.

But now? The script has flipped. Marchand’s facing off against the Bruins, not as their warrior, but as their rival. And while that might feel surreal, he’s embracing it—one final showdown to say goodbye the right way. The fans, the city, the memories? He’s already given his love to the Boston faithful. But this game? This is where he concludes the chapter.

Marchand and his goodbyes!

This was something that Brad Marchand was expecting—stepping onto the ice, and staring down the Boston Bruins from the other side of the rink. He was not afraid to express how he would feel when he met his former teammates. “It will be nice to go home…to see the guys and say goodbye. It will be weird to be there as an opposing team.” But while he was preparing for those postgame hugs, he shared his emotions with the audience, who supported him through every check, every punch, and every championship.

It was on Monday, March 10 when the former captain of the Bruins went big—literally. His full-page advertisement in the Boston Globe was his love letter to the city that became home. “We are Bostonians now and forever.” He spoke about the journey and said, “Thank you for welcoming me into this great city when I was just a young Canadian kid looking to break into the best league in the world. You allowed me to achieve my dream of playing in the National Hockey League and winning the Stanley Cup.”

And in the true Marchand mold, he made it personal, saying, “For this I am forever grateful. You also embraced me from day one and immediately brought me into your family. Since that time, I have become a husband and a father to a beautiful family. My family is now your family: We are Bostonians now and forever.” So yeah, seeing the Bruins hit the ice without their longtime leader in that iconic black and gold? That’s going to take some getting used to.