Before Brad Marchand lifted his second Stanley Cup with his new team, the Florida Panthers, and cemented his place among hockey’s top postseason performers, he had a different kind of playoff spotlight. Fans still talk about it today, not for brilliance but for pure controversy.
On May 14, 2014, in a decisive Game 7 clash between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, Marchand made a move that hockey fans still remember. It wasn’t a goal or a game-saving play. It was something much more questionable.
What Made Brad Marchand’s ‘Snowing’ Penalty So Costly?
Midway through the second period, Canadiens goalie Carey Price froze the puck in his crease. Charging toward the net, Marchand slammed on the brakes and sent a snow cloud flying straight into Price’s mask.
It was a textbook case of “snowing the goalie,” a move players generally avoid when the stakes are this high. Though not outright illegal, it’s widely seen as disrespectful in hockey circles. The referees didn’t hesitate. Marchand was sent to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Boston managed to kill the penalty, but momentum had already shifted completely. The Canadiens, already leading, held firm and closed out the game 3-1. Just like that, the Bruins’ championship hopes evaporated on home ice.
Back then, Marchand wasn’t known for playoff composure. His style was tenacious and unpredictable, often walking a fine line between aggressive and reckless. Moments like this were bound to draw whistles at the worst possible times.
Goalies, understandably, don’t take kindly to being snowed. Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer once described the experience as getting ice shards in your eyes.
“It’s like dumping cold water,” Grubauer said. “It takes a couple of seconds to take your vision back, and sometimes you need to go to the bench to flush it out. There are small pieces of ice, shards, stuck in your eyes until they melt.”
That night, Marchand had more than one brush with controversy. Earlier in the game, he drew another penalty, this time for colliding with Price after allegedly being shoved by a defender. The pattern was becoming clear.
Boston couldn’t afford distractions in a do-or-die game, but that’s exactly what those moments became. Marchand, speaking afterward, was the first to admit he wasn’t at his best when it mattered most.
“Sometimes you just get comfortable or complacent and you think when you’re in a situation where you have an open net or what not, you expect it to go in,” Marchand said following the loss.
His explanation painted a picture of a player who had let his focus drift at the worst possible moment. He acknowledged that mental mistakes were just as costly as physical errors.
“You can get, you can take a little off, expecting that to happen and you don’t bear down,” Marchand continued. “I think sometimes maybe focusing too much on other stuff and being chippy and not just playing the game. It just didn’t come together.”
It was a lesson that would stay with him for years, eventually reshaping his entire approach to the game.
How Did Marchand Transform His Game With Florida?
What happened after 2014 shaped a completely new version of Marchand. He eventually left Boston behind during the 2024-25 season and found a second life with the Panthers. There, he evolved as a player, ditching the unnecessary distractions and focusing on production and leadership.
His grit remained intact, but the needless antics were dialed way down. With Florida, Marchand helped guide the team to its second consecutive Stanley Cup victory, transforming from a known agitator into a respected veteran in the locker room.
Yet that snowing moment against Price still lingers in hockey memory. Not because it was violent or malicious, but because it perfectly captured how fragile playoff balance can be. One careless second, one unnecessary penalty, and everything changes.
The lesson stuck with Marchand. Sometimes the most significant plays are the ones you don’t make.