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The Florida Panthers continue to live it up after repeating as Stanley Cup champions, having once again defeated the Edmonton Oilers in what was the first Cup Final rematch since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins met in 2009.
Most fans and analysts figured that the Panthers would be unable to re-sign all of their top free-agent players, which included Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, former Bruins captain Brad Marchand, and longtime defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
However, Panthers general manager Bill Zito shocked the hockey world by getting all three players to take discounts and re-sign with the club, keeping the majority of Florida's core together for several more years. Marchand agreed to a six-year extension worth $32 million that is front-loaded with a $5.25 million cap hit along with $1 million in salary each season and the rest in signing bonuses.
Marchand's teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, commemorated the occasion with a special post on his social media account.
Matthew Tkachuk is loving the news that Brad Marchand is re-signing with the Panthers 😅 pic.twitter.com/vOo1j6YCzV
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 30, 2025
The Panthers acquired Marchand from the Bruins at the NHL Trade Deadline in March after he wasn't able to come to terms on a new contract extension with the only NHL club he'd ever suited up for.
Marchand was in the final year of his contract and wanted to remain with the Bruins, but he couldn't hammer out a deal with GM Don Sweeney that was acceptable to him. Instead, he's now a Stanley Cup champion for the second time in his career, and he's in great position to contend for several more titles with the Panthers.
Marchand succeeded Patrice Bergeron as the captain of the Bruins when the former retired following Boston's shocking elimination in the opening round of the postseason against, you guessed it, the Panthers in 2023. While Marchand led the Bruins to a thrilling seven-game series victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs the following season, they were once again knocked from the playoffs by the Panthers.
Now, it will be Marchand wearing Panthers colors for the next several years, as Florida's core of players above, along with Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaeghe, are all under contract through at least 2030.
