It’s Game 6, and the Stanley Cup is already in the house for the Panthers. Unless the Edmonton Oilers can find a way to take this series to Game 7, the Stanley Cup won’t be leaving Amerant Arena tonight. Naturally, everything’s come down to this one game as the Oilers desperately try to beat Brad Marchand and Co. So what could be more soothing during such a high-stress game than a heartfelt message from your loved ones?

Well, if you ask Marchand, then he’ll probably say nothing can top what his children had to say ahead of the crucial game. “Hi Daddy, it’s me, Rue Rue. Hey, Daddy, it’s Sawyer. Hey Papa, it’s Sloane,” the Marchand kids said in a voice note to their dad. “Congratulations getting on to the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s a lot of work and effort that you have to put in for it,” said his older daughter, Sawyer Marchand.

“It’s been so awesome to watch you over my whole childhood and growing up and seeing the man you’ve become and all that you’ve done,” added his eldest, Sloane, before his sister took over again. “No matter what happens in the game, we’re so proud of you,” added Sawyer, in the voice note that The Players Tribune shared on X. Brad Marchand’s children didn’t even care if he lost.

“No matter what happens in the game, we’re so proud of you. You still got us, and we got you,” said Sawyer. Meanwhile, his youngest, Rue, let the NHL icon know about just how much she loved her dad, regardless. “I love you so much. My best daddy in the whole wide world,” added the 3-year-old. And what about Marchy’s eldest, Sloane? Well, he had a similar take.

“Just know we’re all very proud of you over here, and no matter how this year comes to an end and how this final ends up… We all love you and support you, and you always got a family here with open arms when you come home. Love you, Papa. Good luck,” added Sloane. It must have been a delight to hear such a beautiful message from his beloved children.

After all, Brad Marchand didn’t hide the fact that he didn’t have his family with him during the playoffs. While that meant hockey became his only focus during the NHL playoffs, it wasn’t so easy being away from his wife and children. “At the end of the day, it does help, and it’s a sacrifice to be away from them,” Marchand said after Game 1. Thankfully, the sacrifice paid off.

Brad Marchand’s inspiring turnaround

Marchand started his year off with the incredible high of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off against arch rivals America. However, his return to the NHL was far less optimistic, as the Bruins struggled to keep their heads above water. Ultimately, things got so bad that the Burins traded their veteran of 16 seasons in the final stretch before the trade deadline.

Suddenly, the lifelong Boston Bruin found himself among the players he had fiercely competed against for years in the NHL. It seemed like a lose-lose situation for the 37-year-old, who suddenly had to adjust to the ways of former rivals, the Florida Panthers, with barely two months left till the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yet, that’s where the magic happened, as Brad Marchand fit the Panthers’ system like he’d been part of it for years.

Not only did Marchand not struggle, but he also proved his worth during the playoffs. Marchy’s upward trajectory started with him scoring his 5th career playoff game-winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And then the Rat King became unstoppable as two more series, and multiple NHL records later, the former Bruin lifted his second Stanley Cup with the Panthers.

“It’s incredible. It’s a feeling you can’t really describe, and you know, seeing the family and everyone up there and everyone that supported me and helped me get to this point,” Marchand told TNT on NHL host Jackie Redmond as he got emotional right after the win. While they couldn’t stay with the NHL veteran during the playoffs, Marchy’s entire family was there to witness him lift the Stanley Cup.