SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brad Marchand is ready for his Florida debut.
The Panthers said Marchand — who, because of an upper-body injury, hasn’t appeared in a game with Florida since being acquired in a trade with Boston three weeks ago — will be in the lineup Friday night when the team plays host to the Utah Hockey Club.
It will be the first time in 1,091 NHL games, 1,248 when adding in playoff contests, that Marchand takes the ice in something other than a Bruins sweater. The plan is for Marchand to jump into Florida’s second line with Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich — who grew up in New England watching Marchand play for the Bruins.