Marchand, emotional return to Boston: ovation and tears at the TD Garden

The “Little Ball of Hate” still feels a lot of affection for Boston.

Brad Marchand, visibly emotional, struggled to hold back tears on the ice when the TD Garden crowd gave him a standing ovation during his first game as a Bruins rival. The 37-year-old forward touched his heart, wiped his face, and saluted the crowd as both teams tapped their sticks against the ice, and even the referee and linesmen applauded.

I knew it was going to affect me the way it did. It was extremely moving. The Bruins will always have a very, very special place in my heart. Marchand, the last member of the Boston team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011, was traded from the non-competing Bruins to the Panthers last season to have another chance to win a title. He helped Florida complete their quest for consecutive championships, while Boston fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

I left, turned the page and found something really special again, of which I am very, very proud and blessed to be a part. And I chose to be a part of it again. I built something really special with every guy on this team last year, with the victory. You build a bond that lasts a lifetime. So I try not to show any disrespect that way, as if I wasn’t grateful, because I am.

Brad Marchand

Marchand, who re-signed with the Panthers in the offseason with a six-year contract worth about $32 million, added:

I’ve been here for several months. I’ve been in Boston for 15 years. When you go from being a kid, with a dream, and then you grow up and have a family, you become a man and build a whole life in a city, it’s different. Of course, it will always be in my heart and it will always be a special place.

Brad Marchand

Marchand got his first taste of the welcome he would receive when the crowd cheered him as he left the ice after pre-game warmups, as the DJ played a medley of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The former Bruins captain responded with a stick salute as he headed to the visitors’ bench.

The fans wearing Marchand’s jerseys with the number 63 from Boston and Florida cheered again during the introductions, and then booed when he received a tripping penalty 33 seconds into the game. “I knew it wouldn’t take long,” he said with a smile. There was a mixed reaction when the Panthers scored on the power play, a goal that initially appeared to be Marchand’s, but was credited to Mackie Samoskevich; Marchand got his first assist. But things got really emotional during the first commercial break, midway through the first period, when the scoreboard showed a reel of highlights from Marchand’s time in Boston, including images of him being anointed with the “C” of captain that he wore for just over a full season. It ended with a photo of him holding the Stanley Cup and the message “Welcome back, Marchy”. Marchand skated in front of the Panthers’ bench, waving to the fans and holding his heart. His face betrayed his emotions as he sat down on the bench, still on the verge of collapsing, and the crowd chanted his name.

Those tears are real. He just wears his heart on his sleeve. He had so many great moments here, won a Stanley Cup here. He’ll always be a Bruin at heart.

Paul Maurice, Florida coach

Marchand said he was able to maintain his composure for the most part until his children appeared on the scoreboard. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Careers go by fast. No matter how long you’re in, it goes by extremely fast. And to see a snapshot of that, it brings it all back. The amount of pride I have for having played here and having been a part of this organization, I just couldn’t contain it. Attention soon returned to hockey, with the Panthers taking a 2-0 lead in the second period. Marchand received a hooking penalty, which drew cheers from the crowd, and assisted on the goal that gave Florida a 3-2 lead with 1:31 remaining. The Bruins tied it up again before Carter Verhaeghe put the Panthers ahead for good with 27 seconds left to play. But the lasting memories will be of Marchand.

He had many good memories in this stadium, and he has been part of this franchise for a long time. So it’s good, like sitting back and being part of history a little bit. He’s a great guy and we’re very lucky to have him. I can only imagine what it meant to the city and to the fans.

Carter Verhaeghe

Marchand, a four-time All-Star who scored 422 goals and 554 assists in 16 seasons in Boston, remains in the Bruins’ top 10 in goals, assists, shorthanded goals, overtime goals, playoff goals and points. His 1,090 games played are fourth in team history, one spot ahead of Don Sweeney, the general manager who traded him to Florida at the trade deadline.