Back in March 2025, the Florida Panthers made a pretty big move by bringing in Brad Marchand mid-season, and it really turned out to be a game-changer for their playoff run. After being sidelined for a bit because of an upper-body injury, Marchand really made his presence felt when he came back. He really showed his experience and determination in those crucial moments.

Take Game 7 of the second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example. Marchand racked up two assists and even scored an empty-net goal, helping the team secure a solid 6-1 win. Marchand really stepped up the Panthers’ offensive game and brought some toughness and leadership along with him. Indeed, in 17 postseason games, Marchand has scored 4 goals, 10 assists, and accumulated 14 points with a plus-minus rating of +11. Those qualities have been key in Florida’s chase for back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, as the team has now won the Eastern Conference Final.

There were definitely times on the ice when his physical play turned off quite a few spectators, even those who were new to the NHL. Kara Chambers posted on Instagram about Laura Welsh Cook, or “Lolly,” who has developed a passion for hockey at the age of 66. So, even though she’s a new fan, she’s been keeping up with all the latest gossip from the NHL, especially when it comes to Marchand. When this caught Brad’s wife, Katrina Marchand’s attention, she shared it on her IG story, saying, “You tell them, Lolly!” The NHL star’s wife commented on a pretty funny statement made by a 66-year-old fan.

“Then we got this guy from Boston who everybody hates. His name is Brad Marchand. He’s 37 years old, he’s short, and he’s the dirtiest player in hockey. Like, everybody knows it. Everybody hates him,” Lolly mentioned in the IG video about Brad Marchand’s on-ice behavior, particularly the atmosphere he brings with him. “They called him the Rat King. And yesterday, Marchand took a bunch of the young guys to Dairy Queen. He is a dirty little player. Like, because he’s little, what he does…he goes down low, so you flip over him, and then you flip over onto the ice.”

It seems like the 66-year-old fan is really getting into the sport these days! She even highlighted a specific moment from the recent Eastern Conference Final showdown. “And this one guy got really, got his bird or something, got so mad at him, he shot a puck at him, which is bullshit. I was so mad. And then Marchand took off his things and punched him in the face, and they kicked Marchand out for like 10 minutes. And that other guy didn’t even get a penalty. But when you come back out there, you’re going to die. Like, you’re going to, they’re going to get you,” Lolly said.

In Game 1, when the Panthers faced off against the Hurricanes, there was a moment in the third period where Marchand went for a hit on Shayne Gostisbehere by the boards. So, Gostisbehere took a shot and sent the puck right at Marchand from his own blue line, which kicked off a bit of a scuffle between the two of them. The officials handed Marchand a 10-minute misconduct for his part in the altercation.

The Panthers managed to pull off a 5-2 win in Game 1, even with the penalties, giving them a solid start in the best-of-seven series. But according to Lolly, all she got to see was some intense hockey action. She realized that going after someone like Marchand wasn’t going to turn out well for the Hurricanes in the long run. In the end, Florida clinched the Eastern Conference Final, and while they were accepting the Prince of Wales Trophy, they managed to dodge a particular curse this year as well.

Brad Marchand and his team won’t fall for this

Most hockey fans are pretty familiar with the whole Prince of Wales Trophy curse thing. So, for the Florida Panthers, when they got their hands on that trophy back in 2023, it was a big moment. But then they ended up losing the Stanley Cup Finals to the Vegas Golden Knights in just 5 games. They figured it out and decided not to touch or lift the trophy in 2024.

Head coach Paul Maurice mentioned, “It has nothing to do with anything, but we play our silly games.” Whether it was superstition or not, they decided it was better not to take any chances. So, in the end, the Panthers clinched the Stanley Cup that year, taking down the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7.

This year was pretty much the same, as they took down the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5, wrapping up the series 4-1. No player got near the Prince of Wales Trophy, leaving it untouched, clearly to steer clear of the curse. We’ll just have to wait and see if they can snag their consecutive Stanley Cup this year.