Florida Panthers Welcome Brad Marchand Tonight v Utah

FORT LAUDERDALE — Former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will play for the Florida Panthers for the first time tonight.

The Panthers play the Utah Hockey Club in Sunrise at 7 p.m.

Marchand has been out since being rammed up against the boards on March 1 while playing for the Bruins; he was traded to the Panthers less than a week later just before the NHL Trade Deadline hit on March 7.

He has been skating with the Panthers since Florida visited the Bruins on March 11, with coach Paul Maurice saying the team would not rush him into the lineup due to the upper-body injury.

Marchand will play in Matthew Tkachuk’s spot on the right side of Florida’s second line with Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.

Maurice would not come out and say Marchand is definitely playing, but went as close to it as he could.

“We expect him to get into this game, we expect him to play for us,’’ Maurice said after a morning skate in which Jonah Gadjovich and Tomas Nosek got work as tonight’s extra players. 

Marchand has played the entirety of his 16-year NHL career with the Bruins; he ranks fourth in franchise history in games (1,090) and goals (422); he is fifth in points (976) and sixth in assists , and assists (554).

A Stanley Cup champion in 2011, Marchand ranks fourth in Bruins history with 157 postseason games played.

He is Boston’s all-time leader with 56 playoff goals, and is second with 138 points.

Marchand played in the Stanley Cup Final three times (2011, 2014, 2019) with Boston.

ON DECK: GAME No. 72

UTAH HOCKEY CLUB at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• National TV: NHL Network
• Local Streaming Only: Panthers+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
• Season Series (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Utah: Panthers 4, Utah 1 (Jan. 8). At Florida: Friday.
• Last Season vs. Arizona Coyotes: Florida Won 2-0
• All-time Regular Season Series vs. Coyotes/Utahs: Florida leads 22-20-0, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday vs. Montreal Canadiens, 1 p.m.