Brad Marchand's wife Katrina bids heartfelt goodbye to Boston Bruin following husband's Florida Panthers trade

Veteran NHL player Brad Marchand's wife, Katrina, bid a special goodbye to her husband’s erstwhile teammates at the Boston Bruins. Katrina took to social media to share her feelings about Marchand being traded to the Florida Panthers after 16 seasons as a Bruin.

On Saturday, Katrina reacted to a highlight reel about Marchand’s career with the Bruins. The franchise’s Instagram account posted it. Katrina reposted the video on her Instagram story.

“Thank you for always giving Brad and our family so much love. We’re eternally grateful for every moment we’ve had with you. We’ll hold them close to our hearts forever. Love always, The Marchands," Katrina wrote in the caption.

Katrina also reposted photos of Brad and her socializing with his teammates and their partners. One picture features the Marchands taking part in what looks like an impromptu mafia-style costume session with Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and his girlfriend, Alessandra Iacaboni, who had shared the original photo.

“Family forever,” Katrina captioned the repost, tagging Brad, Swayman and Iacaboni.

(Credit: IG/@kasloane)

Marchand has played 1,090 NHL games for the Bruins, scoring 422 goals and 976 points.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the "NHL Now," said that Marchand might have asked to be traded to Florida, in part because of his family:

“And I think at the end of the day. I'm sure it's also easier on his family. But he Instagrams pictures of his family all the time. I'm sure it was easier on them,” Friedman said.

Brad Marchand’s former teammates share their feelings about losing their captain

Brad Marchand’s trade was not well-received among Boston Bruins’ fans, and his now-former teammates have not been taking it too well either. On Friday, Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy shared a picture of him and Marchand hugging in celebration on the ice, captioning it with two broken heart emojis.

The Bruins franchise released a tribute video in Marchand's honor on their socials, with a caption:

"Thank you, Brad, for 16 incredible years," the Bruins wrote.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney also spoke about the trade to reporters.

“We had to make a really, really difficult decision to say, 'Well, let’s give Brad another opportunity (to win a Stanley Cup) with a really good team.' Then he can make his decision what he thinks is best moving forward,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney also said he “would never close the door” to Marchand returning to the Bruins.