Looks like Brad Marchand just stirred the internet’s sweet tooth into a frenzy, and no. After cameras caught him mid-intermission casually spooning something mysterious during Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, fans and reporters alike went full detective mode. And when he said himself that it was a chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard from Dairy Queen, chaos took over the hockey world for a hot minute. The internet had already dubbed it Blizzard-Gate 2025. But then Marchand stepped in with the real scoop and squashed the rumors in the most Brad way possible.

“It was honey. I was having honey,” Marchand calmly told reporters, surprised that so many people had believed him, when he was, in fact, joking. “It was a spoonful of honey.” Yup, just pure golden energy straight from nature’s pantry; not a Blizzard in sight. And now, Brad Marchand is bracing for a locker room remix in Florida as the hilarious ‘Blizzards’ controversy hilariously snowballs.

Over on NHLonTNT, things got delightfully chaotic when the crew brought up the now-legendary Blizzard-Gate. With a cheeky grin, the host, Liam McHugh, leaned in and said, “Listen, Biz isn’t going to launch a full Department of Broadcaster Safety investigation here, but we’re on the borderline because of the Great Blizzard controversy. We have to ask, we now know that you didn’t eat the blizzard. I guess it was honey. What are you eating before tonight’s game?”

And that’s when Brad Marchand, cool as ever, leaned into the chaos. He gave the most Marchand answer possible, smirking as he said, “I don’t know. We’ll see what’s on the menu out there, but there’s a very good chance DQ’s in there right now after all the publicity they’ve gotten. So I hope they are. If it is, I’m diving right in.” Yup, the Blizzard buzz might’ve melted, but Marchand’s sweet tooth might just be ready for a proper encore.

So, technically, despite its popularity amongst fans, Blizzard-Gate was nothing but a myth. But then again, Marchand’s got his eyes (and taste buds) on that dreamy Dairy Queen drop-off. And while Dairy Queen didn’t quite make it to center ice just yet, Brad isn’t ruling anything out. And who knows? While Blizzard-Gate is officially over, it may not necessarily mean the end of the Brad Marchand-DQ saga.

“I’d better get a lifetime free supply of Dairy Queen now,” Marchand had said in his chat with Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas on Saturday, after joking that he was enjoying a Blizzard mid-game. The Panthers forward thought that it was quite obvious that he was just messing around until his inbox started blowing up. “I think people took it seriously. The amount of messages I got about people going to Dairy Queen (on Sunday) — and I appreciate the support; I love a good Blizzard more than anybody — but it’s not something I’ve had in the middle of the game,” he revealed.

Indeed, thanks to him, DQ seems to be getting some serious footfall. In fact, the Miami Herald‘s Jordan McPherson also stopped by a Dairy Queen outlet just before Game 4. And while he didn’t order a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard, he did note that there were a couple of Panthers faithful there who had the same preference as Marchand. So, with all the buzz surrounding DQ since Marchand’s little stunt, The Athletic, when they caught up with the Canadian on Monday, asked him whether he had already landed an endorsement deal with the brand. “Working on it. Smart to give a little plug to them, right?” he replied with a wink.

But as believable as Marchand’s joke might have seemed to people, there was one person who was too wise to take Marchand’s word for it.

NHL insider didn’t buy what Brad Marchand said

So, here’s where it gets extra frosty and fun. During a Sportsnet podcast, Elliotte Friedman, with all his seasoned rinkside wisdom, wasn’t buying what Brad Marchand was selling. “So, every once in a while, I would do a sideline or rinkside interview, and I would know someone is lying to me. And when I saw you ask Marchand what he was eating, and he said it was a Dairy Queen Blizzard, my BS meter would have gone off,” he shared with Kyle Bukauskas. Yup, that Kyle, the same guy Brad gave the Blizzard scoop to. Friedman basically said his spidey senses would’ve been on full alert for dessert deception.

“Me too. Like I thought he was just playing,” replied Bukauskas, surprised that they even had to take the trouble to explain the whole thing. “Like, do you think there’s a DQ, an Orange Julius outlet attached adjacent to the Panthers’ dressing room,” he quipped. Bukauskas even recalled how he had said “well played” after Marchand had given his answer—something that he felt more people should have caught on to. But fortunately, or unfortunately, people did not see it as the “great piece of television” that the Sportsnet anchor thought it was.

Then again, fib or not, whatever Brad scarfed down during that break brought the sugar rush. He scored a goal in the third period, just minutes after that mysterious spoonful. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe it was magic in a cup. That goal was part of a five-goal, full-on blizzard from the Panthers that iced the game. So, whether it was honey, ice cream, or pure DQ manifesting, the dessert drama delivered.