“Thank you for the MVP, @CalgaryFlames.” That’s what Brad Marchand posted on Instagram about Sam Bennett after winning the Stanley Cup, trolling the Flames. After clinching the trophy with the Florida Panthers, he mocked 19 teams for trading players to the Panthers. From winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career to taunting NHL teams, Marchand never fails to amaze with his ability to get under people’s skin. On the ice, he trolls players, dishes out trash talk, and indirectly pressures opponents into making mistakes.

After taking care of those 19 teams, Marchand has now turned his attention to Oilers player Jake Walman. He commented on a social media post that shows Walman laughing at Panthers jersey number 92, Tomas Nosek. The moment occurred during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Panthers. The score was tied 3–3, and the game had gone into overtime. At 1:43 into OT, Walman laughed while staring down Nosek. So when ‘Barkov Memes’ shared a snapshot of that moment on Instagram, Brad Marchand jumped into the comments and wrote, “Think he’s still laughing?”

Late into the game’s overtime period, a flustered Nosek misplayed the puck while attempting to clear the zone, sending it straight out of play for a delay of game penalty. That crucial mistake cost the Panthers Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final series. In response, Walman aggressively approached Nosek and laughed in his face, clearly trying to rattle him. But in the long run, the Panthers went on to win the Cup, and Brad Marchand’s comment became all the more pointed. Needless to say, Walman’s anger and mockery ended up looking like shallow, empty bravado.

Brad’s subtle nudge proved crucial, and Walman’s reaction would be different now, as the Edmonton Oilers have fallen short in the Stanley Cup Final, and badly. Last year, the Oilers at least pushed the series to Game 7, but this time, Walman’s team collapsed like a house of cards after Game 3. In that game, the Panthers dominated the Oilers with a 6-1 victory, which served as a huge momentum boost for the Panthers. Although the Oilers managed to tie the series by Game 4, their luck slipped through their skates in Games 5 and 6. While the Oilers were busy celebrating early after Game 1, Brad Marchand has now trolled Walman, giving him a taste of karma.

Brad Marchand cleared the air on his hilarious dig at NHL teams 

On June 20, when NHL reporter Brad Marchand was asked about his social media dig at NHL teams, he responded with a strong message directed at teams that trade star players for draft picks. Brad told the reporter, “We all have our own story about, you know, maybe not being the happiest about the situation at the time, and kind of how things played out for certain guys.” Brad himself has been the target of such trades. He was traded to the Panthers after 16 years in Boston, so he shares a brotherly bond with others who have been traded.

Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett was traded by the Calgary Flames. Multiple teams also traded superstar and future Hall of Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, most notably by the Philadelphia Flyers, who originally drafted him. The list goes on, but the point is that Brad empathizes with talented hockey players who miss opportunities and sometimes face trades even after strong performances. This was the case with Bobrovsky. Before the Panthers acquired him in 2019, he had a save percentage above .900 for the season. So the trolling, which is his way of expressing emotion, came from that sense of understanding and frustration.

Talking about the sudden transfers, he said, “Those are the things at the time that you don’t always look at and want to happen. Or you know you’re not happy about it at the moment, or you don’t understand why things are going a certain way.” Teams often do this because of the business point of view, but they miss their judgment on deciding whether they will win the cup or not. To conclude in one line, the franchises should understand that winning trophies or at least getting into the playoffs matters rather than moving important pieces.