Brad Marchand reveals ‘main reason’ why his contract talks with Bruins broke down

"I want to play until I get kicked out of the league.”

Brad Marchand signed a six-year deal with the Panthers this offseason. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

September 17, 2025

2 minutes to read

In a perfect world, Brad Marchand would still be in Boston and holding court as the Bruins’ captain this fall.

It’s a scenario that the 37-year-old winger mapped out on numerous occasions going into his contract year with Boston last year. It was a result echoed by Don Sweeney, who stressed that he wanted to make Marchand a “lifelong Bruin” back in May 2024.

That reality splintered in March, with the Bruins trading Marchand to the Florida Panthers amid stalled contract negotiations and Boston’s middling play.

After playing an essential role in Florida’s second-straight Stanley Cup title, Marchand opted to stick around with Boston’s rival for what is expected to be the remainder of his Hall-of-Fame career — inking a whopping six-year deal with the Panthers worth $5.25 million per year.

Speaking to reporters in Florida Wednesday, the longtime Bruins forward said that the term he was seeking on a new deal was the primary reason why contract talks with Boston never reached the finish line.

“I was never going to take a one or two-year deal. Not even a three-year deal. That just wasn’t in the cards,” Marchand told reporters. “I want to play as long as I can. That’s the main reason why it didn’t work out in Boston. I want to play until I get kicked out of the league.”

Here's the full answer on Brad Marchand talking about his new contract with the Panthers and why playing as long as he can is so important to him with the Bruins shorter deal not working for him #NHL #Panthers #Bruins https://t.co/tERsF4k4CQ pic.twitter.com/61TtY385ZE
— Yianni Kourakis (@WPBF_Yianni) September 17, 2025

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Bruins made a three-year contract offer to Marchand and his representatives before ultimately dealing him to a team that he preferred on the East Coast in the Panthers.

Even with Marchand’s strong play on a deep Panthers roster, a Bruins team staring at an inevitable retool/rebuild likely wasn’t going to hand out a contract that would keep Marchand signed until he was 43 years old — even if that $5.25 million cap hit should be more digestible as the NHL’s salary cap ceiling continues to soar.

Marchand admitted that he was initially surprised that he stayed with the Panthers, considering that Florida was seemingly primed to lose key pieces in free agency amid an expected cap crunch.

But, the Panthers managed to keep all of its top pending free agents in place this offseason — signing Marchand, Sam Bennett (eight years, $64 million), and Aaron Ekblad (eight years, $48.8 million) to long-term deals.

A candid Marchand did note that Florida’s lack of state income tax also made it easier to take a discount deal — something that has allowed the Panthers to build a juggernaut roster and establish themselves as a viable contender for a Stanley Cup three-peat in June 2026.

“If we were not in a no-tax state, it wouldn’t work out, probably for two guys. Two guys probably would be leaving in that situation,” Marchand said. “That’s a benefit that this team has that we able to utilize and make work. I’m thrilled to be here for the next six years.”