Surely all Boston Bruins fans remember that fateful March day, i.e., the 7th of March earlier this year, when none other than the Bruins very own captain, Brad Marchand, was traded to the Florida Panthers. There was shock, there were tears (many of these from Marchand himself, who in an emotional letter he penned to fans, “Boston will always be a part of me, and it will always be a part of my family”). and there was a viral video! A worthy viral video at that, one that showed the very moment Bruins GM Don Sweeney announced the trade to a room full of shock and silence. Well, now Kevan Miller, Marchand’s former teammate on the Bruins, is speaking out about how he thinks Florida was the far better choice for Marchand anyway.

Kevan Miller, who played with the Boston Bruins from 2013 to 2021 until knee injuries put his career to an end, recently spoke up on an episode of the Hockey Hub to answer some questions about watching Brad Marchand, his former teammate, lifting the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. Miller was asked what impressed him most about the Panthers and had quite a lot to say about the team’s culture.

“The culture down in Florida is something; it’s a winning culture.” Miller said, adding, “It’s infectious. These guys want to be a part of that. You see, these guys are signing before they’re getting free agency to find out even what the money’s worth because they don’t want to be a part of that winning culture. You know, I think Tkachuk even openly said this is a dynasty.” After the Panthers lifted their second Stanley Cup, Tkachuk did indeed confirm his thoughts about his team being a dynasty.

Miller didn’t end there; he concluded his thoughts on the Panthers by adding,

“Um, really weird to say as a Bruins fan, but still, I think those guys, they’ve leaned into each other and they’ve done a really good job of creating that culture and a winning atmosphere.” It’s not untrue, and with Brad Marchand having signed a $31.5 million 6-year contract, the next two to three years at least are looking good for the Panthers, all thanks to that ‘culture.’

What is this infamous Florida Panther’s culture that keeps them, and now Brad Marchand, winning?

All through the playoffs we couldn’t stop hearing about the Florida Panthers’ ‘culture,’ so in brief here’s what all the hype seems to actually be about…having a good time! Sure, it’s easy to say when you’re holding the Stanley Cup two years in a row, but Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov attributed the team’s culture to having fun, stating, “It’s been amazing how every single guy who works here and who plays here is having so much fun every single day,” and this fun atmosphere lends itself to more than just a good time; it also offers the players a sense of belonging. 

Coach Paul Maurice recently stated, “The culture is good on the players that are in and out of our lineup. They feel a part of it. Coach has nothing to do with that. Coaching has nothing to do with it,” clarifying that the players just feel naturally integrated into the team. kudos to Bill Zito for managing a roster that excelled both on and off the ice.

Kevan Miller’s former teammate Brad Marchand didn’t fail to chime in on that infamous Florida culture, adding, soon after he joined the team, “It’s such an incredible culture and everyone that’s come in here, it’s like we’ve been here a lot longer than a few months. It’s a family. Guys love each other in this room. You buy into it immediately. Guys, embrace you. It’s incredible.” So there you have it, the Florida Panthers clearly have something special going for them, and everyone can see it, even Bruins fans!