Panthers Star Brad Marchand Leaves Game With Injury Just Days After NHL Return
The veteran forward was helped off the ice after a collision and appeared unable to put weight on his leg.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand was forced to leave a game with an injury just days after making his return to the ice, a few games into the NHL season. The two-time Stanley Cup winner was helped off the ice after appearing to injure his left leg.
Marchand's prior season concluded with a lower body injury that eventually required sports hernia surgery. After missing the preseason and the first two regular-season games, he was in his second game back against the Los Angeles Kings when the incident occurred.
In the second period, Marchand took a stick to the face from Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. He twisted to avoid the stick, colliding with the right goal post, and his left leg bent awkwardly. Marchand remained on the ice for several minutes as trainers attended to him. Teammates Niko Mikkola and Brady Tkachuk assisted him to the bench, and he was unable to put weight on his leg as he was taken to the locker room.
Head coach Paul Maurice stated that the team would have Marchand evaluated on Thursday, but had no further update on his condition. Marchand is in his third season with Florida, having been traded from the Boston Bruins in March 2025. He helped the Panthers secure back-to-back titles in his first season with the team.
This latest injury to Marchand comes shortly after captain Aleksander Barkov was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a left leg injury sustained last Thursday. Maurice noted that the team has "a little experience with Sasha going down" and expressed confidence in the team's depth, stating, "We know we have good depth. And there's a threshold for any team, a number of injuries you just can't survive, and we passed that early last year. So, real good resolve here. The tank is deep right now. We had a big summer off, so we're strong."
