Despite missing Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers prevailed. Opening the 2025-26 NHL season was just what the doctor ordered for the Cats. As they eye a three-peat, Marchand made something clear to the locker room.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Marchand and the Panthers found a way to walk out with the victory in the NHL season opener. Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks put up a great fight, but it wasn’t enough to spoil the celebratory night in Sunrise.

As Florida passed its first test without captain Barkov and key leader Tkachuk, Marchand knows the journey has only just begun for the Cats. The Panthers know that, too. The chase for the franchise’s third Stanley Cup will be exhausting and demanding, but one game into the ride, there are

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