FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla — Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand will finally get his chance to represent Team Canada at the Olympics, marking a career milestone for the veteran player who has accomplished nearly everything else in hockey.
For WPTV's Panthers in Milan coverage, WPTV Anchor and Panthers 360 host Mike Trim talked with Marchand at Baptist Health Ice Complex in Fort Lauderdale.
The Stanley Cup champion and member of the 1,000-point club with more than 400 career goals will suit up for Canada for the first time in Olympic competition. For Marchand, it represents the pinnacle of individual achievement in hockey.
"The highest honor you can have individually as a player is to be part of these games, you know, to represent your country, to be in that elite group of players," Marchand told Trim. "Incredible opportunity, especially this late in my career where I kind of thought maybe those days had passed me by."
The significance of Olympic hockey runs deep in Canadian culture, something Marchand experienced growing up.
"Hockey in Canada has always been like that. It's what everybody looks forward to playing, you know, people don't really pay attention to football and basketball, it's all hockey," Marchand said. "So to grow up and cheering for Team Canada is an every household thing. So you just kind of grow up with that pride and honor of playing for that."
Marchand will join fellow Panthers Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett on Team Canada. In total, 10 Panthers players will represent their home countries in the upcoming Winter Games.
The veteran forward expects fierce competition, even from his own teammates who will be playing for different countries.
"Well, I mean one of those guys, Chucky, who, uh, he's gonna turn off that friendship the second we leave the, you know, the rink here even," Marchand said. "I gotta watch my back on the plane ride up because you know we're opposite teams starting from that point forward so I can't trust them when you're playing for something of that caliber, I mean it just goes out the window and, and always have a ton of respect and, and love for those guys, but, um, you know, once you get over there that it changes."
Beyond hockey, Marchand has a fashion brand deal with Perry Ellis. Marchand tells Trim he's looking forward to experiencing Milan, one of the world's fashion capitals.
"I'm excited. I think my wife is even more excited. She's big into it, my kids are getting into it too, so I think we'll all spend a little bit of time outside of the games, touring around and enjoying that part of it as well," Marchand said.
Trim and WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts will travel to Milan, Italy to track the Panthers in Milan Feb. 10-23.
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