Panthers' Sam Bennett Praises 'Inspiring' Brad Marchand After Stanley Cup Final Win

Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett heaped praise on veteran forward Brad Marchand after the Florida Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup on Tuesday night.

Following Florida's convincing 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to clinch back-to-back Cups, Bennett told reporters how much Marchand meant to the team's run this postseason, saying:

"What he's meant to this team ... I truly don't think we win a Stanley Cup without him. His leadership, his will to win, it's inspiring. I was telling him before every game, 'We're going to follow you.' And we did. He was a dog every night. He for sure could have won this trophy. He's a better player and person than I ever knew, and I'm grateful that I got to play with him."

Bennett won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP after leading the Panthers with 15 goals and finishing with 22 points, which was just one off the team lead.

However, the honor could have just as easily gone to Marchand, who recorded 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 23 postseason contests.

The timing of Marchand's production is what truly made the 37-year-old veteran stand out, as he scored six times in six Stanley Cup Final games, including two goals each in Games 2 and 5, both of which were Florida wins.

Marchand spent his first 15 NHL seasons in their entirety with the Boston Bruins, and although he began a 16th in Boston as well, he became an unexpected casualty of the trade deadline.

With Marchand and the Bruins failing to come to terms on a new contract, and Boston trending toward missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the Bruins traded their captain to the Panthers.

The two-time All-Star appeared in only 10 regular-season games for Florida, recording two goals and two assists, but during the postseason, he looked like the player who had four straight seasons with 85 points or more from 2017 to 2020.

In 2011, Marchand helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup in only his second NHL season, and 14 years later he has now added a second Cup to his résumé.

Since Marchand is set to hit free agency this offseason, his future is murky, but even if he leaves the Panthers to sign elsewhere, he left an indelible mark on the franchise in a short amount of time.