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Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand stepped away from the team to serve as a guest coach for his friend’s under-18 hockey team in Canada after the friend’s daughter died of cancer. JP MacCallum’s daughter, Selah, was 10 years old.
Marchand traveled back to his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to coach the March and Mill Co. Hunters, which he co-owns.
The game served as a fundraiser for the MacCallum family, featuring a raffle for an autographed Marchand jersey.
“Please join us in celebrating an amazing night at the rink made possible by the ongoing giving nature of a 10-year-old girl that loved the game with all her (heart),” Marchand posted on Instagram.
Marchand missed Florida’s game Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach Paul Maurice said he expects Marchand to be available when the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions face the Dallas Stars Saturday.
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Marchand quickly became a fan favorite in Florida after spending the majority of his first 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins. In New England, he won a Stanley Cup in 2011. However, amid a subpar season, Boston traded its longtime mainstay to Florida, which had been in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.
The 37-year-old fit right in, scoring two overtime goals, including one in double overtime in Game 2 of the Final against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had won the first game in overtime, but with Marchand’s help, Florida wound up winning the series in six games.
Florida has struggled out of the gate, going 5-5-1 in its first 11 games. But the team is 4-1-1 at home, and, based on its recent history, there is no reason to count it out.
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