Brad Marchand Announces Latest Tradition With Florida Panthers After Leaving Boston

From Sidney Crosby’s peanut butter sandwiches to vintage gear choices, routines often take on lives of their own in the minds of players. And so is Brad Marchand, who, for all his needling ways, has always been a bit of a superstitious guy, and one of the earliest examples comes from 2011. Scoring 21 goals in his first full NHL season with the team, a young Marchand had his pregame routine locked down. It would begin the night before a game when Marchand would eat penne pasta with meat sauce at the same restaurant. On the day of the game, Marchand would once again eat the same meal but after the morning skate. Then at home he would play Call of Duty on his Xbox and listen to MTV Jams before taking a short nap.

It was clearly a winning routine, as that was the year Marchand and the Bruins brought Lord Stanley’s Cup back home to Boston for the first time since 1972. Now fast forward 14 years, and Brad Marchand is no longer a Bruin but is once again on the path to lift that elusive Cup come June. Despite their 0-3 stumble in Game 4, the Florida Panthers have been looking unstoppable against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final with their 3-1 series lead.

And unless all the wheels suddenly come off, a reverse sweep, as possible as it may be, just doesn’t look probable. But back to Marchand. While it’s unlikely that the post-skate MTV and Call of Duty sessions on Xbox have continued in 2025 (MTV Jams especially), Marchand has a fresh superstition that he will hope leads him to glory once more. Since his switch from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers, Brad Marchand hasn’t just adapted to his new surroundings. He’s shaping them in his own way.

Case in point? That now-iconic suit he’s been donning since the Game 7 win over the Maple Leafs. Brad Marchand’s suit features a bold navy blue base with a striking white windowpane check pattern, paired with a crisp white shirt and matching navy tie. The tailored fit and confident styling make it a standout, statement look. It’s a variant of the black checkered suit he was pictured in in 2022.

@BR_OpenIce posted on X an observation that now has become a talking point in hockey circles—Brad Marchand’s playoff superstition. After being spotted in the navy-blue suit before the Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, fans noticed he hadn’t changed out of it since. The same suit has reportedly accompanied him through each matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, almost as if it’s his silent good luck charm.

Marchy's been sticking with the same suit since the Game 7 win against the Leafs pic.twitter.com/kBOGjv7UTi

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 26, 2025

Interestingly, the ritual may be catching on. Teammate Aaron Ekblad has been seen wearing a nearly identical suit, sparking speculation that the superstition is spreading in the locker room. With the Panthers falling short in Game 4, however, all eyes are on whether the suit will return for Game 5 or be retired along with the sweep.

Unusual rituals and the Florida Panthers is not a new story

Since arriving in Florida, Brad Marchand has also found himself at the center of one of hockey’s most bizarre yet beloved traditions. Every time the Panthers win, his teammates gleefully launch plastic rats at him using their sticks. An homage both to the franchise’s “Rat Trick” legacy—originating in the 1995-96 season when Scott Mellanby killed a rat with his stick on the way to a legendary Cup run—and to Marchand’s notorious “rat” reputation for being a heel his whole career. I mean, who can forget that iconic photo of Marchand grinning while posing next to a pair of Lightning fans holding up a homemade sign with a caricature of Marchand alongside the words “EXTERMINATE THE RAT“?

It’s only fitting that Marchand joined a team typified by its use of rodent imagery (the team store sells those aforementioned plastic rats as well as rat-themed merchandise). It started as a spontaneous celebration, with winger Evan Rodrigues firing the first shot, and has since turned into a postgame ritual featuring teammates like Matthew Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov. “They see my family on the ice and want us to be together,” joked Marchand.

Even on the road, the rat attack continues. During Game 2 in Raleigh, Panthers fans tossed enough toy rodents onto the ice for the players to pelt Marchand as they left victorious. The ritual has become a perfect blend of Florida’s quirky history and Marchand’s identity, making him both target and talisman. As head coach Paul Maurice said, “There are really fun stories that are just kind of organic. Now they’re ripping the plastic rats off Marchy, and it’s funny as hell.”

Brad Marchand is reminding his new teammates and the rest of the hockey world that authenticity is contagious. Especially if it’s to dress in the same suit. Marchand’s outfit choice might seem trivial to outsiders, but for a veteran chasing another Stanley Cup, it’s just another way to keep the energy. And even, perhaps, consistent luck.

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