Florida Panthers Brad Marchand demonstrated that there are things more important that league play, taking a brief leave of absence from the NHL to support a friend in a family matter.

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand has taken a leave of absence from the team to return home to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he is stepping behind the bench to help a close friend through tragedy.

It’s a moment one could say changed the course of two franchises. A moment that may have set the tone for the Florida Panthers winning the last tw