It wasn't known what kind of reaction Brad Marchand would receive in his return to Boston. Marchand spent 16 years with the Bruins before he got traded by the team to the rival Florida Panthers last season. Marchand was an impending free agent, and the Bruins decided to get some sort of return for their longtime winger. Not long after, Marchand won a Stanley Cup title with the Panthers, and signed a six-year contract to remain with the team.
Tuesday night, Bruins fans welcomed Marchand back with welcome arms, as they cheered him every chance they got. Then, during the first commercial break of the game, the Bruins aired a video tribute to Marchand, who was seen crying and choking up. Marchand took the ice and saluted the crowd at TD Garden while Bruins fans applauded him.
The Panthers won the game 4-3 and Marchand recorded two assists to help beat his former team. But after the game, the focus was on Marchand's reaction to the fans cheering him on and the team paying tribute to him.
Brad Marchand thanks Bruins and fans for tribute in return to Boston
After the game, Marchand met with reporters to discuss his return. Marchand said he was grateful for the tribute the Bruins gave him on Tuesday night.
Additionally, Marchand was asked if he knew the tribute would hit hard, and he said he had a feeling, but once he saw photos of his kids in the tribute is where he lost control of his emotions. Marchand's quote comes courtesy of Jameson Olive of the Panthers.
Marchand on his tribute:
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) October 22, 2025
“Extremely touching. I’m so grateful the moment.”
Said he was doing OK at containing his emotions until the clips of his kids started showing up in the video.
"It kind of hit like a ton of bricks," he said.
Marchand also took time to joke about the tribute, saying that "Man, I had some bad haircuts when I was young." Marchand's quote comes courtesy of NESN's Adam Pellerin.
Brad Marchand On what was going through his mind during the video tribute:
— Adam Pellerin (@adampellerin) October 22, 2025
“Man I had some bad haircuts when I was young.”#nhlbruins @NESN
For Bruins fans wondering if there were any hard feelings by Marchand towards the organization over his exit, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Marchand was asked if he could see himself returning to the organization once his playing career is over. The winger said he "absolutely" would be open to doing so after he retires.
"Yeah, if I'm being completely honest, absolutely," said Marchand, h/t Conor Ryan of Boston.com. "It's an organization that I feel I will always be a part of in some capacity down the road. I'm sure me and the guys will have some conversations...whoever wants to jump in, I'll come back together with something. Just what I've been through here, the blood, sweat, and tears, what I felt I tried to give this organization, it'd be hard not to want to be involved."
It was an emotional night for Marchand, his family, the Bruins, and the fanbase on Tuesday night. Even though he's wearing another team uniform for the foreseeable future, he has nothing but love for the team and the city of Boston. Plus, he opened the door to return to the organization down the line when his playing career is over.