“It was a weird feeling,” said Brad Marchand as he recalled putting on a Florida Panthers hat while face-timing his kids. As shocking as the Bruins captain’s trade to the Panthers was, the drama continues to escalate.

Having played 16 seasons bleeding black and gold, Marchand is now on the road to the playoffs with new teammates Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart. Ironically, that road goes through TD Garden.

The Florida Panthers insider, Hockey reporter David Dwork, went on X on March 10 to explain why Brad Marchand’s first roadie with his new team might be a bit off. As it happens, Marchand’s first road trip in a Panthers jersey is going to take him straight back to the city where his career started. Talk about a full-circle moment with a side of awkward.

As for Marchand? He’s keeping it real, saying, “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.” And yeah, weird might be an understatement. Sixteen years of wearing the ‘B’ with pride, countless battles, and now? He’s rolling in as the enemy. Safe to say, this ain’t your typical homecoming—it’s a trip packed with nostalgia, fresh starts, and maybe even a few what-ifs.

What’s more? Although Marchand is currently on a week-to-week basis thanks to an upper-body injury, he revealed that he could be hitting the ice as early as Tuesday. While it is still too early for him to play a game, at least neutral fans would have wanted him to take on his former team.

After all, the March 12 game will be the last time these two longtime rivals will be playing each other in the regular season. And if that is not enough heat, let us go back to January when these two sides last met–the showstopper was David Pastrnak who scored the tying goal in the power play and then the winner in the last second of overtime to give the Bruins a 4-3 victory at the Amerant Bank Arena. Yeah… you know Florida’s got that one circled in red.

But while Marchand’s gearing up to say his goodbyes to his Bruins brothers, what about his goodbye to the fans who stood by him all these years?

Brad Marchand’ heartfelt goodbye to the Boston faithful

When the trade of Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers was made official, it was quite apparent that this move was going to be a charged affair. Sixteen years. One city. One team. One legacy. And then–just like that—it was over. But hey, just because he’s swapping jerseys doesn’t mean he’s leaving behind the fans who rocked with him through it all. And guess what? Instead of going through the Bruins’ front office to bid his farewells, Marchand did it directly to the fans.

Brad did not go to the press conference or release a carefully crafted statement; instead, he took an ad in the Boston Globe on March 10, and wrote what was in his heart. “We are Bostonians now and forever.” Yeah, that one hits deep. He thanked the city for welcoming a young boy who once had a dream to play in the NHL and for allowing him to live that dream and for allowing him to not only grow as a hockey player, but as a man, as a husband, and as a father. “I have become a husband and a father to a beautiful family. My family is now your family: We are Bostonians now and forever.”

Brad Marchand arrived in Boston in 2006 and played his first NHL game in 2009 and became one of the most talented players in the history of the Bruins. The last remaining link to their Stanley Cup win. And now? He is wearing Panthers uniform and is going straight to the TD Garden to face his former team. Talk about a reunion with a side of drama.