Brad Marchand took temporary leave from Panthers to help friend after daughter’s death
Brad Marchand was back on the ice Wednesday night — just not with the Florida Panthers.
And for good reason.
Marchand served as a guest coach for the under-18 Marchand and Mill Co. Hunters in his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in place of friend JP MacCallum, whose 10-year-old daughter Selah died after a battle with cancer.
Marchand is a co-owner of the team and his outdoor apparel company, March & Mill Co, sponsors the team. MacCallum, the team’s head coach, is one of Marchand’s longtime friends.
Marchand was one of five of MacCallum’s friends to serve as coaches for the game while MacCallum spent time with family following the loss of his daughter.
“Selah loved hockey. She loved her dad’s team more than anything,” Marchand said in a video posted on his personal Instagram account after the game. “She loved going to the games. She was always there supporting them. ... We’ve known her from the day she was born. We’ve loved her since then, and there’s no time that the five of us ever would have really been together for an opportunity like that to coach this team and coach together. Selah would have loved nothing more than to see us behind that bench together, and the only reason the five of us are home right now is because of her passing. So we felt it was appropriate and something that Selah would have loved to see us all behind the bench tonight and honoring her in that way.”
Marchand called Selah “an incredible girl full of so much love.”
“It was an honor,” Marchand said, “to have been in her life and to know her.”
The game served a fundraiser for the family. Included in the fundraiser was a raffle for an autographed Marchand jersey.
“It’s tough because the only reason I am back here is because something extremely tragic has happened and a beautiful life has been lost,’’ Marchand told High Button Sports on Wednesday. “My bond with JP goes back many years. We have a group of guys here this evening, and we all grew up together. Our lives have crossed for many years. There is no place I would be than right here right now.”
Paul Graham, the president of the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League, called Marchand’s act “an incredible show of support and friendship.”
“This gesture reflects the true spirit of the hockey community in Nova Scotia, one built on compassion, loyalty, and connection that extends far beyond the rink,” Graham said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our thoughts are with JP, his loved ones, and the entire Hunters organization.”
Marchand missed Florida’s game Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks, a 3-2 shootout loss. Panthers coach Paul Maurice on Wednesday said he expects Marchand to be back when Florida hosts the Dallas Stars on Saturday (6 p.m., Scripps Sports) to cap a four-game homestand.
Marchand, 37, has a team-leading 11 points and six assists on the season. His five goals are tied with Sam Reinhart for the team lead. The 37-year-old veteran winger joined the Panthers at the trade deadline last season after spending his entire career to that point with the Boston Bruins and became an integral player in Florida repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Marchand signed a six-year, $31 million contract on July 1 to stay with the Panthers through the 2030-31 season.
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