Sam Bennett opens up on first interaction with Brad Marchand on group chat following Florida Panthers trade

Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand are teammates once again. The Team Canada linemates have been reunited following the shocking trade sending Marchand from Boston to Florida in the final minutes before the NHL trade deadline.

The two pesky forwards formed Canada's fourth-line at the 4 Nations Face-Off, providing a combination of grit and skill not many can match.

Now that they're together on the Florida Panthers, Bennett was asked about Marchand during his media availability on Monday. Panthers reporter Jameson Olive shared his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"As soon as we added him in the group chat, he was chirping. His first message with a chirp, right away. You love that. It breaks the ice. That's just who he is, and we're excited to have that personality here," Bennett said.

It looks like Brad Marchand will fit in just fine in Florida alongside the likes of Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, among others.

Marchand remains sidelined with an upper body injury suffered on March 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He's expected to miss a few more weeks of action before making his debut as a Florida Panther. The veteran winger has had another solid season, producing 47 points (21 goals, 26 assists) in 61 games in Boston.

Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand have quite the history

As most hockey fans know, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand have been rivals for quite some time. Most notably through the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers playoff battles in recent years.

In Game 3 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bennett laid a reverse hit on Marchand where he appeared to accidentally punch the 36-year-old in the side of the head. Marchand was visibly hurt and went on to miss several games with a suspected concussion before returning for Game 6.

The then-Bruins captain brushed off the incident at the time, stating that he's been on the other side of those things and that it's just a part of playoff hockey. It's going to be a nightmare for opposing teams to have to deal with a trio of Marchand, Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk once they're all in the lineup together.

While Marchand recovers from his injury, Bennett and the Panthers are back in action on Tuesday night in Boston against the Bruins. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EDT at TD Garden.