Hockey fans in the hometown of Brad Marchand Hammonds Plains, NS are divided on the search for his Florida panthers or the Canadian team – Edmonton’s Oilers – during this Stanley Cup final.
The Oilers beat the 4-3 Panthers in match 1 in overtime on Wednesday evening. Marchand scored in the second period for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
In the old merchant trampling land, the St. Margaret’s Center arena at Upper Tanallon, fans are torn between supporting the local guy or the Canadian team.
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“I am still rooted for oilers, mainly because they are Canadian,” said Hockey Danny McPhee hockey fan outside the sports center, about 20 minutes from Halifax.
Others, like the former deputy for the region, Ben Jessome, are proud to declare that they are “a guy from Brad Marchand”.
“Even if I would like to see the oilers win a cup, I have been friends with Brad since we have been children. I have played with him over the years and I am really excited to see him in another cup final and I hope he would bring him home,” said Jessome.
Marchand has a long history of hockey in the Halifax region and the Maritimes. Growing up, he played for the Tasa Ducks in minor hockey, then finally joined the QMJHL where he had stays with the Wildcats of Moncton and Halifax Mooseheads.
He likes the fanfare he receives wherever he goes and even laughs at the nicknames he has received over the years – notably “rat”.
“I did not think that it would remain. But, yes, it is the one who obviously dragged for a while,” he said during an availability of the media on Wednesday.
“Things like that, I take them more as a compliment.”
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