Brad Marchand seems to have a soft spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs these days.
Despite being one of the most hated NHL players in Toronto and having eliminated the Leafs in the playoffs countless times, the little ball of hate is refusing to throw his arch-nemesis team under the bus.
The Leafs are set to take on the Panthers on Tuesday night, and Marchand was asked about Toronto’s slow start to the season. Through 25 games, the Maple Leafs are out of a playoff spot and sit tied for last in the Atlantic Division with the Panthers.
Marchand had every opportunity to twist the knife, but instead opted to stick up for the team and call out people quick to hit the panic button.
“What are we? 25 games in? If you think your playoff dreams are done 25 games in, you have bigger problems,” Marchand said. “I know they don’t think that in the room, it’s just the media attention and fan support they have in Toronto, things get blown way out of proportion up there.
“What are they? Four points out of a playoff spot? If people are thinking they are out of a playoff spot for the season, they’ve got to find a new job.”
“If people are thinking (the Leafs) are out of a playoff spot for the season, they gotta find a new job.”
Word! Leafs-Panthers pregame thoughts from Brad Marchand. #LeafsForever #TimeToHunt
🎥: PantherVision pic.twitter.com/xUFMVmXREO
— CatsNBoltsPodcast (@CatsNBoltsPod) December 2, 2025
Marchand typically likes to play the role of the villian when it comes to things like this, but he didn’t have as much room as you would think to chirp. The Leafs are off to horrid start to the new season, but things haven’t been much better in Florida, who are also at the bottom of the Atlantic.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Marchand has complimented the Leafs while the fanbase was going through trying times.
Shortly after the Panthers eliminated the Leafs from last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchand complimented Toronto as a team and gave them all the credit in the world for taking the defending champs to Game 7.
“This one was probably the one I was most nervous for,” Marchand told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas at the time. “I wasn’t just pumping their tires; they’re a different team this year, and we got the bounces tonight, but they were competing at a much higher level.
“I give them a lot of credit. They competed way harder than they ever have.”
The Toronto native has never played a game for the Maple Leafs, but there may be some residual goodwill toward them because they are his hometown team.
Lead photo by
Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images