“He's a terrible guy”: Brad Marchand accepts Florida Panthers rivalry, befriends Matthew Tkachuk

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand is fast getting used to his new team—and their intense rivalries—following a shocking mid-season trade from the Boston Bruins. Now at the centre of the Florida Panthers' postseason charge, the veteran winger has dived headfirst into the ice war and learnt the intricacies of a new locker-room dynamic with outspoken teammate Matthew Tkachuk. From heated postseason battles to in-game banter, Brad Marchand is acclimating in full-veteran fashion.
Coming over from the Florida Panthers following over a thousand games with the Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand has found himself in new but exciting waters. At 36, Brad Marchand was traded to Florida last March after contract negotiations with Boston stalled. Ever since, Brad Marchand has been embracing his new reality—and the Panthers' long-standing rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Before Game 2 of the opening-round series, Brad Marchand went on the NHL on TNT panel to talk about adjusting to South Florida life and, more pointedly, going on the ice and into the locker room with forward Matthew Tkachuk. Notorious for his physical play and quick tongue, Marchand didn't bat an eye when questioned about his new teammate. “He's a terrible guy,” Marchand joked with a grin before complimenting Matthew Tkachuk's presence in the dressing room. “No, he's great. Keeps the room really light, but he's ultra-competitive. You see the mindset he gets into when it becomes game time.”
Marchand, far from being an outsider to playoff intensity, has been immediately swept up in the raw emotion of the Battle of Florida. Despite spending years confronting the Panthers and Lightning as a Bruin, he conceded that the stakes hit differently now with a Florida jersey on his back. “You can tell the rivalry as soon as you start talking about the other team,” Marchand said. “You can instantly feel the hatred that they have for us, we have for them.”
The Panthers’ grit was on full display in Game 2, which they won to take a commanding 2–0 lead in the series. After the victory, Sam Bennett echoed Marchand’s sentiment, describing just how personal things have become.
As the series between these rival teams heats up, Marchand's presence both on the ice and in the locker room might prove to be a decisive X-factor in the playoff run for Florida.
Also read: Matthew Tkachuk returns strong in Panthers’ face-off game
Whether it's a chirp on the mic or a big play in crunch time, Brad Marchand is already showing he's precisely the type of playoff personality the Florida Panthers needed.