**Brad Marchand’s Emotional Return to Boston: Wife Katrina Hopes for “Just a Couple of Yays”**
After spending 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers at last year’s trade deadline. On Tuesday, the Panthers will visit Boston, marking Marchand’s first game against his former team.
Ahead of the game, Marchand’s wife, Katrina, took to Instagram to share a quote from Brad’s Monday interview regarding his feelings about facing the Bruins again.
“(The fans) won’t be able to cheer because I know they don’t like the Panthers very much, but maybe they’ll like me enough to give a little ‘Yay,’” Marchand said. Katrina added a playful caption on her post: *“Please, just a couple of yays.”*
Marchand was a key contributor to Florida’s second straight Stanley Cup win last season, tallying 10 goals and 20 points in 23 playoff games. This past July, he signed a six-year, $31.5 million contract extension with the Panthers.
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### Brad Marchand Gets “Emotional” Returning to Boston
Marchand admitted that returning to Boston has stirred up more emotion than he initially expected.
After the Panthers practiced at TD Garden on Monday, he reflected on how the reality of being back hit him the night before.
“It kind of hits you when you’re here a little bit more,” Marchand told NHL.com. “I haven’t thought about it a ton up until this point. I think that’s probably why I don’t because then I’ll get emotional about it. But it’ll be hard not to. There are too many memories and I was here too long for it not to.”
When asked about what he considers the best part of Boston, Marchand didn’t hesitate.
“The fans, for sure,” he said. “Hockey-wise. The city’s incredible, I’ve lived in a bunch of different areas around here and the city’s incredible. But the fans make it awesome.”
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### Mixed Reception Expected in Boston
Marchand expects to see plenty of familiar faces in the crowd, including his family, in-laws, and friends.
He understands that the reception will be mixed—while some fans won’t cheer because of his new affiliation with the Florida Panthers, he hopes a few will still show their appreciation with small cheers.
“I believe there will be a little love in the building if I do something good,” Marchand said. “Though I fully expect the boos to come just as quickly if things go the other way.”
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Brad Marchand’s return to TD Garden will undoubtedly be an emotional night for him and the fans alike, as he reconnects with the city and team where he made his mark.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/news-brad-marchand-s-wife-katrina-makes-expectation-reception-bruins-fans-known-1st-game-against-former-club