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.

Panthers star Brad Marchand gets all the love from the Bruins and Boston fans in his return to his old stomping grounds on Tuesday.

Brad Marchand had two assists in his emotional return to Boston, and Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 27 seconds left to help the Florida Panthers beat the Bruins 4-3 on Tuesday night.

In hopes of helping out Brad Marchand and company, the Florida Panthers are reportedly testing the waters around a key position in the NHL market.