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Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is not with the team, choosing instead to return to his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia to help his community heal from a tragedy.
Marchand was granted a rare leave of absence to go back to Maritime Canada in support of local hockey coach, trainer and friend JP MacCallum - whose ten-year-old daughter, Selah, died last Friday following a lengthy battle with cancer.
A charity game between MacCallum's March and Mill Co. Hunters and the Halifax McDonald's in the Nova Scotia Under-18 Hockey League took place Wednesday night.
Marchand and MacCallum were behind the bench for the game, as was friend and former NHLer Andrew Bodnarchuk.
Proceeds from the game will go back to the MacCallum family. In addition, Marchand donated a signed jersey for a raffle.
The team is co-owned by Marchand and his former Boston Bruins teammate Kevan Miller. 'March and Mill Co.' is an outdoor brand started by the two players.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand was granted a leave of absence to help support a friend in Nova Scotia who lost his ten-year-old daughter to a battle with cancer last week
Marchand (standing, L) was behind the bench for a youth hockey team he co-owns, which is run by friend JP MacCallum. MacCallum lost his daughter, Selah, to adrenocortical carcinoma.
'This gesture reflects the true spirit of the hockey community in Nova Scotia, one built on compassion, loyalty, and connection that extends far beyond the rink,' league president Paul Graham said in a statement (via The Athletic).
'Our thoughts are with JP, his loved ones, and the entire Hunters organization.'
Marchand, the two-time Stanley Cup winner and former Bruins captain, has worked with MacCallum in the offseason as part of his training program for more than 20 years.
In a post to Instagram, Marchand provided an update on the situation and explained why he felt compelled to help.
'Selah loved hockey. She loved her dad's team more than anything, she loved going to the games, she was always there supporting them,' Marchand said in the video.
'We've known her from the day she was born. We've loved her since then... Selah would have loved to see us all behind the bench tonight and honoring her in that way.
'Selah was an incredible, incredible girl, full of so much love. It was an honor to have been in her life and to know her.'
Selah passed away after battling Stage IV adrenocortical carcinoma - a rare, cancerous tumor that attacks the adrenal glands.
Selah (being picked up) lost the ability to move comfortably in the late stages of her battle
Per a GoFundMe page set up to support the family, she underwent surgery in December 2024 to remove a tumor on her right adrenal gland.
However, the cancer recurred and metastasized to her lungs. It left her without the ability to move comfortably, sadly and prematurely ending her hockey career.
The fundraiser page remains active and has raised over $98,000CAD as of just past Midnight on Thursday. As of that time, the top donor was Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon.
To take part in this charity game, Marchand missed the Panthers' Tuesday game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Florida coach Paul Maurice believes the 37-year-old will return for a game against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
