There are few players in the National Hockey League who have been as big a thorn in the side of the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last several seasons than Brad Marchand.
Marchand, who has played for the divisional rival Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, has been one of the most instrumental players for both teams in their respective playoff series against the Maple Leafs, including most recently in Game 7 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinal.
And while he’s known as a giant troll on the ice, he can be just as big of one off the ice – albeit in a light-hearted way. That’s how he was when he recently commented on a photograph of Maple Leafs forward William Nylander during a weight training session.
“Don’t hurt yourself with all that weight willy,” Marchand wrote on social media.
The Maple Leafs, who now feature Marchand’s former teammate Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes, will first take on the Panthers on December 3 at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto.
Brad Marchand Admitted He Thought He Would Join The Toronto Maple Leafs In 2025
GettyThe Florida Panthers got a crushing injury update on veteran forward Brad Marchand, leaving a potential hole in the lineup.
Marchand, who was traded from the Bruins to the Panthers at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline and soon helped Florida repeat as Stanley Cup champions, entered that summer as an unrestricted free agent.
And while he ultimately signed an extension with Florida, he admitted that he had serious thoughts of joining the Maple Leafs.
“It was between Florida and Toronto where I was going to go,” Marchand said about his decision to re-sign with the Panthers.
He later added, “(Toronto’s) a great team, great organization, but once the opportunity to sign (in Florida) came up, it was kind of no question it’s where I wanted to be.”
Marchand signed a six-year, $31.5 million extension to remain with the Panthers, and he scored 27 goals with 27 assists in his first full campaign in Florida that was cut short by injury; he later underwent surgery earlier in the summer, and could very well miss the start of the upcoming season.
Brad Marchand Has Been A Thorn In Toronto’s Side
Marchand, who has played with the Bruins and Panthers, has played a key role in multiple painful playoff defeats for the Maple Leafs.
Additionally, he now holds the NHL record for most Game 7 victories against a single team with five; four with Boston, and now one with Florida. In the 35 career postseason games he’s played against Toronto, Marchand has scored 13 goals with 24 assists.
Nemesis Brad Marchand Trolls Maple Leafs Star On Social Media