Things were looking bleak for Brad Marchand barely two months ago. While the Canadian hockey veteran had just won the 4 Nations Face-Off, his NHL season’s future didn’t look promising. With the Boston Bruins hitting an endless rough patch, it looked like Marchand wouldn’t get a chance to make the playoffs this year. Then the Bruins shocked fans by trading him to the Panthers.

Watching a 16-season Bruins veteran move to their divisional rivals’ camp devastated the community. Since that last-minute trade, Marchand has made his debut and scored his first goal as a Panther. And now, a behind-the-scenes video from Sportsnet has revealed just how pumped the former Bruins captain was to make his Battle of Florida debut.

While Marchand looked happy to be there, it was a different story for the fans. Boston Bruins fans who had only started to put it all behind them after a disastrous NHL season felt the pangs as they saw the excitement in the 36-year-old’s face. “Watching Brad Marchand in the playoffs with another team is tough,” commented one fan, who clearly felt sad.

It’s not surprising, either. After all, Marchand was among the oldest Bruins members, the captain, and a fan favorite. The same fans didn’t hesitate to express their disapproval when the Bruins traded Marchand in a hurry in early March. In fact, the backlash was so furious that Bruins GM Don Sweeney even addressed it publicly.

“We didn’t burn it down. We have a lot of guys,” Don Sweeney said after the backlash reached fever pitch. Unfortunately, the multiple trades the Boston Bruins made didn’t ultimately make a difference in the final half of their regular season. Despite singing multiple players like Henri Jokiharju, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, and Jakub Lauko, Brad Marchand’s former team couldn’t recover.

A bittersweet moment for Brad Marchand fans

Watching the NHL icon who wore Bruins’ colors barely two months ago, getting hyped to play as part of the defending champions, the Florida Panthers, dumbfounded fans. Many Bruins fans couldn’t even process their emotions. Those Bruins who grew to become Marchand’s fans had to watch their former captain chest bumped his Panthers teammates in the tunnel.

One Bruins fan put it perfectly: “I love Brad Marchand. I hate the Florida Panthers. I don’t know what to do,” the ice hockey enthusiast commented on the post. Meanwhile, another fan tried to enjoy the game, but had to pause at the bizarreness of it all.

“Something weird about watching Marchand start a playoff run in a Panthers jersey, while drinking a Bruins’ tribute, Marchandy,” commented the fan. The Bruins fan even posted the picture of a room filled with Boston Bruins memorabilia and a Bruins-branded beverage with Marchand’s face on it. These reactions were not surprising considering the Bruins’ rivalry with the Panthers.

Besides big divisional rivals, the last few seasons have been incredibly competitive between the two sides. They’ve even met one another in the playoffs multiple times in the last few years. In fact, Brad Marchand himself never shied away from taking jabs at the Panthers. He even took a shot at Matthew Tkachuk after Team Canada defeated Team USA in the 4 Nations.

Today, Marchand played alongside Matthew Tkachuk. So, some Bruins fans expressed some strong reactions about Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. “Watching Brad Marchand play for the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs makes me want to throw up,” said one fan. What’s more? The Panthers put on a show at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

The much-anticipated Battle of Florida saw the Panthers blow Tampa Bay out of the water. The defending champions scored 6 goals, while the Lightning had answers for only 2. And as surprising as it may seem, some Bruins fans rooted for the 36-year-old. “The fact I have to see Marchand playing in the playoffs for the Florida Panthers makes me mad at the @NHLBruins organization all over again…” one fan explained.

“However, a part of me wants Marchand to be an absolute machine and goalscorer just to stick it to the Bruins,” added the fan, who wanted to see Brad Marchand succeed. Although the Panthers succeeded, the Battle of Florida has just started. Matthew Tkachuk turned up big time for the Panthers after returning from injury, scoring twice while playing with Marchand for the first time.

Now the Panthers need to maintain this form for the rest of the series. The question is: Will they be able to do it? And looking at the bigger picture, will Brad Marchand be able to help his new team defend the Stanley Cup? Tell us what you think in the comments.