In an ideal world, Brad Marchand was supposed to be playing for the Boston Bruins, leading them as their skipper. Having spent close to 15 years with the Black and Gold, even Don Sweeney, Boston’s general manager, wanted to make the Canadian veteran a “lifelong Bruin.” But talk about fate making its own call; not only did Marchand leave Boston to join the Florida Panthers back in March to play a vital role in their second consecutive Stanley Cup triumph, but the 37-year-old even decided to stay put by inking a six-year contract extension worth $31.8 million.

Heck, Marchand wasn’t alone, with the Panthers deciding to go all in by also tying their other free agents, Sam Bennett (eight years, $64 million), and Aaron Ekblad (eight years, $48.8 million) to long-term deals. Pretty neat, right? But we hope you realise that Brad agreeing to a long-term commitment with the Florida-based NHL side means he practically looks to call it quits from his career. And guess what? There’s a reason why he chose the Panthers as his retirement home.

While facing the media, Brad Marchand recently opened up about his contract negotiations with the Florida Panthers, admitting that the state’s non-tax status was one of the main reasons it attracted him to stay put. “Call it a spade of spade, if we were not in a non-tax state, it wouldn’t have worked out probably for two guys (him, Bennett, Ekblad). Two guys probably would have been leaving in that situation. So it’s a benefit that this team has, we were able to utilize and make work,” he said.

Marchand followed up by saying that many of these non-tax teams are among the best-run organizations in the NHL. And that’s exactly why, not only for him, but staying in Florida was also made possible for Bennett and Ekblad. Quite ironic and, more importantly, it’s a complete contradiction of what Florida GM William Francis Zito, Jr. said while dismissing the idea of the Panthers taking advantage of tax benefits to actually build a dream roster.

“I think the most important thing for us in attracting players is, I think the players have understood now how much we’ve been empowered by ownership to try to do the right things,” said Zito. Even former player Paul Bissonette highlighted the advantages of being in Florida, calling it a tax haven. He noted that while teams like the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are already unbelievable on their own, being in a market where players hardly pay sales tax makes it even better.

Somehow or other, it looks like the players aren’t failing to take notice of these advantages, just like Marchand was able to admit in his case, as well as his fellow teammates, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. No wonder it gives more clarity regarding Brad’s future in the game.

Consider Brad Marchand in the NHL for the long haul!

Even though the Boston Bruins wanted to make the left winger a “lifelong” player, the irony of the matter is that their new contract offer didn’t reflect that. Reportedly, the length of the deal became a major roadblock for him, as Brad Marchand vocally admitted in the presser that signing a one, two, or maybe even three-year contract was never “in the cards.”

After all, Brad’s retirement goal is simple: “I want to play as long as I can. That’s the main reason why it didn’t work out in Boston. I want to play until I get kicked out of the league,” admitted the Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, native. To recall, as compiled by Boston.com, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported earlier that Brad Marchand was offered a three-year deal by the Bruins.

Then again, it certainly didn’t align well with his retirement plans, which, as you all can see, are to just keep playing until the NHL is compelled to kick him out. Talk about obstinacy, but even his fans want to see him play as much as he can. Either way, share your views in the comments.