The dust has barely begun to settle from the Brad Marchand trade. Undoubtedly, the trade caught fans off guard, and the entire NHL community was left astonished, not just Bruins fans. Marchand dedicated 16 seasons to the black and gold ensemble, yet he ultimately had to part ways, as the Bruins aimed to rebuild their team from the ground up. And it’s still taking fans a while to adjust to this new normal.

Since joining the Panthers, he has participated in several practice sessions as he continues to recover from his injury. Recently, on the r/hockey subreddit, u/catsgr8rthanspoonies shared several images of Brad Marchand on the ice with the iconic Roberto Luongo, captioning the post, “Marchand and Luongo together at Panthers practice.”

For hockey fans, seeing Marchand donning a Panthers sweater probably still seems unusual. However, for the seasoned fans, the sight of these two players together is likely to evoke a wave of nostalgia. What’s the reason behind that? Marchand and Luongo share a significant history, particularly stemming from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final that featured the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks.

Throughout that series, the rookie Bruins forward gained notoriety for his fierce and aggressive style of play against the Canucks. One of the standout moments was Marchand delivering a series of punches to Daniel Sedin‘s face during Game 6, with little response from Sedin. Classic Marchand.

“Because I felt like it,” Marchand stated when asked about. That’s hockey for you! Nonetheless, his exchanges with Luongo were also heated. In those days, Marchand showcased remarkable speed on the ice, punishing the goaltender with a flurry of goals, ultimately leading to his triumph in lifting the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011. However, witnessing these two on the ice, training for the same franchise, left many fans feeling commenting on the wrongness of it all.

They didn’t like watching Brad Marchand with the Panthers goaltender

It’s hard to believe that Brad Marchand would ever part ways with the Boston Bruins, yet here we are, with fans expressing their disbelief. One supporter captured the sentiment perfectly, stating, “What kind of f***ed up timeline are we living in.” Indeed, to see a player being chummy with an old rival will no doubt be a hard pill to swallow.

Another biting remark came from a fan who wrote, “Hey delete this thanks.” Similarly, a fan expressed, “Look I know it’s in the past but I still don’t Iike it.” It may have been over a decade ago but old habits die hard. These old rivalries are hard to get over, as Bruins fans are coming to find.

Numerous fans remained unprepared to witness the pairing of Marchand and Luongo, with one remarking, “This should be illegal.” In a comparable manner, this supporter expressed their feelings, saying, “The 2011 hockey fan mind simply cannot comprehend this.” Nearly every comment was from a fan whose memories of 2011 were still sharp. And after the intensity of that series, the new images were just not sitting right with them.

The transition from the Bruins to the Panthers marks a significant shift for Marchand. Only time will reveal whether he is prepared to defend a Stanley Cup title with his new franchise.