{"id":989,"date":"2025-06-21T01:27:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T01:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/989\/"},"modified":"2025-06-21T01:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T01:27:13","slug":"brad-marchand-slings-blizzards-at-sunrise-dairy-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/989\/","title":{"rendered":"Brad Marchand slings Blizzards at Sunrise Dairy Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUNRISE \u2014 Brad Marchand has been a Panther for only three months,<\/a> but he feels like he belongs in South Florida.<\/p>\n

Three days after lifting the Stanley Cup, the veteran winger handed out Brad Marchand-branded Blizzards<\/a> \u2014 the source of a new tradition during the postseason<\/a> \u2014 at a packed Sunrise Dairy Queen on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

Wearing a Dairy Queen-themed hat and shirt, Marchand joyously took pictures, signed autographs and handed out cups of the chocolate \u201cchirp\u201d cookie dough Blizzard that the fast food chain temporarily renamed in his honor (the \u201cBrad Blizzard\u201d), working behind the counter and drive-thru window.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been incredible the last couple days,\u201d Marchand said. \u201cBut, I think, this tops it all off. This legit brings back to my childhood, and it\u2019s been an incredible few days. So much love down here in Florida. There\u2019s always been a lot of talk about it not being a hockey city, but it\u2019s pretty evident that there\u2019s so much love down here for the game of hockey, and it\u2019s pretty incredible to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s trip to Dairy Queen is the latest in a line of celebrations around South Florida. From the arena, the Panthers traveled to the now-traditional early morning party at the Elbo Room on Fort Lauderdale Beach. On Thursday night, the team then partied at Miami nightclub E11ven, where center and pending free agent Sam Bennett announced he was staying with the team.<\/a><\/p>\n

On Friday, Sam Reinhart went to a Raising Cane\u2019s in Tamarac while Marchand visited Dairy Queen. The line stretched around the restaurant with fans hoping to get a glimpse of the Florida star. One fan even showed up in a \u2014 presumably old \u2014 shirt that featured Bennett holding a Photoshopped baby Marchand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been special from a fan base that that was not very fond of me, you know?\u201d Marchand said. \u201cAnd I wasn\u2019t very fond of them. It\u2019s done a full 180 and I feel like they completely embraced me and allowed me to be part of this team, city and (I am) very appreciative for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marchand said he did not know what to expect when Boston traded him to Florida at the trade deadline. The Bruins had been the only team he had ever played for. But now, Marchand told a fan while signing an autograph, \u201cI feel like I\u2019m home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen coming in I had no idea what to expect,\u201d Marchand said. \u201cI\u2019ve never been through a situation like this before, changing teams in the middle of a season. But it\u2019s been some of the best few months I\u2019ve ever had in my career, and it\u2019s been an incredible group down here. I\u2019ve loved every second of it, so hopefully, it can continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marchand has become an integral part of the Panthers on the ice and off. He spent time Thursday night posting photos on Instagram of all the players who had come to Florida from different teams, saying thank you to the teams that let those players go before they joined the Panthers.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are home.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI am home, aren\u2019t I?\u201d pic.twitter.com\/SXTBE8SgjI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) June 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe were just kind of sitting at dinner and kind of reminiscing on how we all got to this point. And we all have our own story about maybe not being the happiest about the situation at the time and kind of how things played out for certain guys,\u201d Marchand said. \u201cBut we all got here and without all of those ups and downs that guys went through, whether they got here by choice or not by choice, because they got traded or whatever, it all played a part in this team winning this Cup.<\/p>\n