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Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand stepped away from the team to serve as a guest coach for his friend’s under-18 hockey team in Canada after the friend’s daughter died of cancer. JP MacCallum’s daughter, Selah, was 10 years old.
Marchand returned to his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to train the March and Mill Co. Hunters, which he co-owns.
The game served as a fundraiser for the MacCallum family with a raffle for an autographed Marchand jersey.
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Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) skates against the Boston Bruins in the first period at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/Imagn Images)
“Please join us in celebrating an amazing night at the rink made possible by the enduring giving nature of a 10-year-old girl who loved the game with all her heart,” Marchand wrote on Instagram.
Marchand missed Florida’s game Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach Paul Maurice said he expects Marchand to be available when the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions face the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63), who played more than 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins, beats his heart in recognition of a standing ovation during a first period break of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 21, 2025. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)
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Marchand quickly became a fan favorite in Florida after spending the majority of his first 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins. In New England, he won a Stanley Cup in 2011. In the midst of a strange season, however, Boston traded his longtime mainstay to Florida, which had been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.
Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63), who played for more than 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins, reacts during a break in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 21, 2025. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)
The 37-year-old fit right in and scored two overtime goals, including one in double overtime in Game 2 of the Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had won the first game in overtime, but with Marchand’s help, Florida ended up winning the series in six games.
Florida has struggled out of the gate, going 5-5-1 in its first 11 games. But the team is 4-1-1 at home, and based on its recent history, there’s no reason to count it out.
