SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brad Marchand’s first NHL point came just 26 seconds into the second period of his first game with the Boston Bruins. It seemed very easy, so easy that he was certain he’d be all over the scoresheets on a regular basis.
Oops. Nearly a full year passed before his second NHL point.
“After the first, I’m like, ‘Oh, this, it’s not too hard,’” Marchand said. “But I had a pretty rude awakening after that. You just see how hard it is every night to play in this league.”
He has never forgotten the lessons that came after that first point, what it was like to go scoreless in 21 consecutive games, how it felt to get sent down from Boston to the team’s minor league affiliate in nearby Providence. And they were still in mind Tuesday night, when the Florida Panthers — who acquired him in a trade last season — paid tribute to Marchand joining the NHL’s 1,000-point club in a pregame ceremony before playing host to the Montreal Canadiens.
Marchand hit the milestone more than a month ago; the Panthers let him and his family choose when they wanted to have the ceremony, and this game was the pick. Flowers were presented to Marchand’s wife and mother, gold mini-sticks were presented to his three children. The NHL sent a Tiffany crystal to present to Marchand, and he got a commemorative gold stick and plaque from Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito as well.
Several NHL coaches and players sent video tributes as well, including many of his former Bruins teammates as well as Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby. “Super proud of you,” former Bruins teammate Zdeno Chara said.
Marchand watched the ceremony from a corner of the ice, surrounded by family.
“I have all my family in town,” Marchand said. “These are moments throughout your career that don’t happen often. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate things that I definitely never thought would ever become possible. … It’s a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy a very special thing.”
Getting to 1,000 points is a testament to plenty of things, his longevity included. Marchand had 100 points in a season exactly once; he’s basically been just about a point-a-game guy for the entirety of his 17-year career.
“It’s just such a large milestone to hit,” Marchand said. “Your dream is to play a game in the NHL. I never really thought about what it takes to get to this point. You hope to play and then stay. That’s all you’re really worried about is just trying to stay and hold onto it for as long as you can. Even when I was 10 years in I didn’t think that this was possible.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice often tells a story of last season’s playoffs, a first-round game at Tampa Bay where Florida was down 5-1 late in Game 3 of that series. Everyone was ready for Game 4, except Marchand, who was shouting encouragement to teammates and trying to get a comeback try started.
No rally happened, but what Marchand did that night still resonates with his coach.
“He’s not 25 anymore,” Maurice said of the 37-year-old Marchand. “What he’s been able to do, the consistency of his game, has been incredibly impressive. I think you’ll find, older players, when they get into the playoffs, can find another level, but October through Christmas, sometimes they may not. The juice is hard to find. But not for him.”
It was fitting that the ceremony came with Montreal in town; the Canadiens were a huge rival for Marchand for all those years he spent with the Boston Bruins, and coach Martin St. Louis — another pesky, diminutive forward who just knew how to put pucks in nets, just like Marchand — is one of the Panthers’ star’s idols.
“It’s always a special team to play,” Marchand said. “And it’s pretty cool to have Marty on the bench, being my favorite player growing up.”
Marchand got the first 976 points of his career with the Bruins. He joined Florida in a trade that shocked many — especially given how the Bruins and Panthers had developed a playoff rivalry in recent years — late last season. The Panthers went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup, which was the second Cup of Marchand’s career as well.
And Tuesday was the Panthers’ final game before the calendar flips to 2026. By any measure, 2025 — with the trade, a Cup and a milestone point — was a year for Marchand to remember.
“It was a hell of a year,” Marchand said. “Lot of ups and downs, but if I could categorize it, I’m just very grateful for all of it.”
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