“Absolutely everything…this means the world,” Katrina Marchand wasn’t shy to let her emotions flow after her husband, Brad Marchand, won his second Stanley Cup after just three months with the Florida Panthers. The Canadian winger’s wife made it clear that the ex-Bruins captain deserved everything coming toward him after working through adversities every single day. So, naturally, it wouldn’t be surprising when it even looked like Marchand might put his hockey achievements ahead of his personal ones.

After salary negotiations with Boston failed, the veteran Bruins captain was traded to the Panthers in a surprise move that shocked the entire community. Maybe that’s why the Stanley Cup triumph felt all the sweeter for Brad Marchand. And he showed his feelings without restriction: Marchand was seen partying his heart out at the E11even nightclub (among other spots) for extensive hours before being escorted out by Aleksander Barkov. That fleeting emotion seems to be continuing still.

In an Instagram post by Katrina Marchand from August 11, Brad’s high regard for the ultimate hockey trophy was underscored once again. Captioned, “At least a close second,” the post showed the couple doing a photoshoot with the Panthers’ winger showing off the Stanley Cup. At one point during the photo op, Katrina leaned in at her hubby for a kiss, but the seasoned NHL star promptly placed his lips on the Cup before Katrina, laughing, playfully hit him.

A beaming Brad acknowledged the candid grievance and kissed his wife, who accepted her place in the winger’s life without much hesitation. After all, Katrina probably knew the NHL celebrity would have a higher regard for his feat than he did before. Marchand won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 as a rookie; however, when he did it with the Cats, it was a whole different feeling.

“It feels completely different. I have so much more respect and appreciation for how difficult it was to get here and how hard it is and the amount of things that need to go right to win…But everything has to line up perfectly. My situation is a perfect example of that. I shouldn’t have been here. But it worked out – and I’m enjoying the hell out of it,” the Panthers’ star expressed his thoughts after helping the South Florida team win their second straight Stanley Cup.

Marchand played 10 regular-season games for the Panthers after coming to Sunrise, Florida, posting only 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists). But when the defending champs stepped into the postseason, it was a whole different version of the winger. In 23 playoff matches, Brad hauled 20 points, breaking and matching a few records along the way. Marchand’s impact was instantly felt, and his teammates and the Panthers’ staff were all smitten.

“I truly don’t think we win a Stanley Cup without him. His leadership, his will to win, it’s inspiring and I was telling him before every game, ‘We’re going to follow you,’ and we did. He was a dog every night…and I’m grateful I got to play with him,” Sam Bennett said. There was more than one reason to follow Marchand, as it was not just his skills with the stick that made him so valuable; it was also what pushed him to give the campaign his all.

Love at first sight for Brad Marchand and the Cats: The next chapter awaits

When Marchand left Boston, it was a heartache he didn’t know before. “It’s sad to leave a place I look at as home. I have a lot of great memories in Boston, a lot of incredible years there,” the winger told reporters after his negotiations with the Bruins came to a stalemate and he had to head over elsewhere to continue with his playing. His arrival in Florida had the entire community’s eyes following, and Brad wanted to make sure the move paid off.

It did. Marchand ably led the Panthers to their consecutive title win, playing a crucial role in the postseason campaign along with Barkov, Sergei Bobrovsky, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and the rest of the lot. The Florida camp was so impressed by the 37-year-old’s playoff performance that Zito whipped out a brand new deal for Marchand.

But for Brad, it was probably more about giving his family something to be gleeful about rather than just getting back at the Bruins. “There’s a bit of a dynamic where he really wanted to win a Cup for his family. He’s got young children and they’ve not had the opportunity to experience that. So this is very meaningful to him. This is for them,” Kevin Marchand, the star’s dad, said about how the Panthers-Brad collab made the whole family happy.

With the ink on paper, Brad is set to continue building his legacy in Sunrise for the next 6 years. Will the emphatic collaboration continue to generate results that rival Katrina’s position in Marchand’s life? Or will the winger look to just enjoy the rest of the road ahead and prioritize his personal life? What do you reckon?