Firecrackers continue to go off at Sunrise, Florida. Decimating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to defend the Stanley Cup with success, the Panthers became only the third team from South Florida to win back-to-back championships in pro sports history— after the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins, and the 2013-13 Miami Heat. So, no wonder Brad Marchand is making sure to mark the occasion with enthusiasm. So much so that even Aleksander Barkov is having a tough time keeping up.

The Florida captain’s impact in the locker room and on the ice can hardly be overstated. “He seems to show up in the big moments and does all the right things,” said Marchand of the Finnish player’s ability to deliver under pressure, despite knowing the former from close proximity for only a few months. And tonight, it seems like the Canadian winger got to learn what makes ‘Barky’ the leader even off the ice.

In an X post from June 20 by sof•pantr, Barkov could be seen hilariously trying to get Brad Marchand’s party spirit under control. The accompanying video of the post shared a brief clip from Local 10 News, where the captain can be seen walking out of the E11even Miami nightclub with his hand around the Canadian winger’s shoulder.

Marchand’s face couldn’t be seen with a pair of dark glasses. However, from his body language, it wasn’t hard to decipher that the veteran hockey star had been partying a little too hard. Barkov might have realized it was time he called it a night. However, the Panthers’ new signee felt like he had some unfinished work left inside the club and wanted to make a quick return, before Barkov literally dragged the former by his hands and made sure that didn’t happen.

Pretty “heady” way of exhibiting his feisty character even off the rink, wouldn’t you agree? It’s also a bit ironic that Barkov was the one to stop Marchand from going overboard. After all, the Panthers’ captain was guilty of knocking on his neighbours’ doors at around 5 am in the morning just so they could celebrate with him. Marchand even took the fun a notch higher when he was seen crowd-surfing with the Cup while the DJ played a remix of Pink Pony Club to troll the Edmonton Oilers.

Notably, the Panthers’ official parade is slated for Sunday. But till then, the team is making sure not to waste even one second. But then again, the Panthers have earned the license to be a little extra, and Brad Marchand is no exception. Bagging 10 goals and 20 points in 23 postseason games, the veteran has proved to the Panthers beyond a doubt that he’s a soldier they can depend upon.

Moreover, with Marchand’s future with the Panthers still being under speculation, it seems like the winger is trying everything he can to make sure his time with the team is as memorable as possible. On top of that, Barkov & Co. could also be determined to send off Marchand in the best way possible in case he doesn’t get a chance to lace up alongside each other again after this year.

But could this really be the only party that Marchand gets to have with his new camp?

Are more celebrations on the radar for Brad Marchand in the Panthers’ jersey?

“Brad’s a big moment guy,” Florida GM Bill Zito acknowledged detailing how Marchand became a centerpiece to the Cats’ title defense journey. And he wasn’t wrong. When the winger arrived in Miami following his trade after 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins, Brad immediately found out that the Panthers play in a style that matches his own. The collaboration was quickly put to the test in the postseason, and Marchand made it clear that his skills were for Paul Maurice to take advantage of.

And now, with unrestricted free agency on the table come July 1, Marchand once again looks like a lucrative name, who evidently still has plenty of steam left in the tank. Naturally, rumors and speculations about him finding himself a new squad for the next season are rife, especially with the star himself having noted previously that he wants to play till the age of 40.

However, while nothing is confirmed yet, Marchand did send a message Zito’s way. “Give me a contract,” he told reporters in the middle of serving Blizzards at a Dairy Queen outlet on June 20. And here’s the thing. The GM might just do that. Speaking to TSN on June 18 on whether he can keep free agents Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad, Zito said, “I think we can bring them all back…” So, could there be more things to celebrate for the Panthers in the future, with Brad Marchand still being one of their own? Only time will tell…