Brad Marchand did what he does best, stirring up chaos on the ice. During their game against the Buffalo Sabres, tensions boiled over when Rasmus Dahlin cross-checked Marchand. Following which Marchand didn’t hold back; he jumped on Dahlin and threw punches while the Sabres defenseman was still down on the ice. Fans watching probably couldn’t believe the intensity, and it was aggressive Marchand, impossible to ignore. But things got even more dramatic after the fight.

Marchand ended up holding Dahlin’s helmet into the penalty box. Instead of just putting it down, he ripped off the straps and threw both the helmet and straps onto the ice and against the glass. This was unusual and caught everyone’s attention. And now, on the 19th of October, things escalated when NHL Player Safety confirmed on X that Marchand has been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, the maximum allowed under the CBA. So yes, his wild actions came with real consequences. But the penalties shook up the game, too.

Brad Marchand received 2 minutes for interference and 2 minutes for roughing. Buffalo’s Tage Thompson also got 2 minutes for roughing, which meant Buffalo had a power play. And Buffalo quickly scored 32 seconds into the power play, with Josh Doan putting the puck in the net.

Eventually, Florida never recovered, and they lost 3-0, marking their fourth consecutive loss, leaving their season record at 3-4-0. But this isn’t the first time he has received such penalties.

Brad Marchand’s controversy filled career

Brad Marchand has a history of fines and suspensions for unsportsmanlike conduct in the NHL. Over his career, he has been fined five times and suspended eight times, totaling 28 games missed. His fines have ranged from $2,500 to $5,000, the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

For instance, in 2011, he was fined $2,500 for slew-footing Matt Niskanen. In 2017, he was fined $10,000 for slew-footing Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall. Additionally, in 2018, he was fined $5,000 for a cross-check to the head of New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson. But that’s not all. He’s even been suspended many times.

Notable suspensions include five games in January 2012 for clipping Vancouver’s Sami Salo, five games in January 2018 for elbowing New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson, and six games in February 2022 for roughing and high-sticking Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry. Such suspensions testify to his violent and highly controversial approach to the game and have made him one of the most divisive personalities in the league.

However, it is not shocking conduct in the league. Rasmus Dahlin, even after his current on-ice antics, remarked, “I’ve probably done something like that in the past, too. Stuff happens out there.” That said, Marchand hadn’t courted controversy in some time until his scuffle with Dahlin. And now it’s all about how he and the Panthers bounce back against his old team, the Boston Bruins, after this incident and their 4th consecutive loss on the road.