Barkov Explains His Laughing at New Teammate Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand’s highly anticipated debut with the Florida Panthers resulted in a win for the defending Stanley Cup champions. But it wasn’t necessarily the victory over the Utah Hockey Club that caught most of the attention from the game. There was a moment when captain Aleksander Barkov was caught laughing at new teammate Brad Marchand on the bench. Fans wanted to know what this former rival was chuckling about.

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Barky all smiles with Marchand ? pic.twitter.com/j8RFRWGHVJ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 29, 2025

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During the second period of Friday’s game, cameras caught Barkov giggling while sitting next to Marchand during a stoppage in play. The announcer said, “I wanna know what Barkov’s laughing at, sitting next to Marchand over at that Panthers’ bench.” The cameras show that Marchand was dead serious, as was head coach Paul Maurice.

Panthers reporter Katie Engleson provided some insight after the game. Barkov revealed that Marchand’s trademark trash talk—once a weapon used against him—was now being directed at their mutual opponents, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Barkov told me the smile on his face was because of a chirp Marchand made to an opposing player- “I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player, but now I hear this from my own teammate…When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you’re just sitting there and thinking, is this real? You just battled against him, and now, all of a sudden, you’re his teammate. It’s crazy, but it was awesome.”

Marchand on the Panthers Is Taking Some Getting Used To

Marchand with the Panthers is a sight some fans are still getting adjusted to. Apparently, even the players need a minute to recalibrate. Marchand was a Boston Bruins legend who spent over 15 seasons with the team before being traded to Florida just before the deadline. It was an odd ending to a long relationship, and to go to the Panthers was a move that seemingly came out of nowhere.

His debut was delayed due to an injury, but when he finally hit the ice, he made an immediate impact, recording an assist on Sam Bennett’s overtime winner.

Marchand logged 16 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time, registering four shots, two hits, and two blocked shots. Barkov was already impressed, as he was with the fact it took no time for the new guy to start trash-talking as though he’d been there for years.

“(Marchand) hasn’t played for a month now, and he steps right in, dominating and controlling the game,” Bennett said. “That’s tough to do in your first game back, especially on a new team.”

The Panthers’ win temporarily moved them to the top of the Atlantic Division, though the Toronto Maple Leafs reclaimed first place with a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

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