Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63), left, waves as he reacts to the applause from Boston fans after a tribute to him played during a timeout in the first period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand made his return to Boston on Tuesday night and it was emotional to say the least.

The Panthers-Bruins contest marked Marchand's first game in Beantown since he was traded by the Bruins ahead of the deadline in March. Marchand, 37, was drafted by the Bruins in 2006 and spent the first 15-plus seasons of his career in Boston after debuting in the 2009-10 season. He played a pivotal role in the team winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Needless to say, player and city have no shortage of shared memories together and when the Bruins honored Marchand with a tribute video he could not hold back the tears. Marchand also received a lengthy standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd.

Marchand helped put the home team down 1-0 after one period, recording an assist on the Panthers' opening goal. He helped Florida repeat as Stanley Cup champions earlier this year with a big playoffs and re-signed with the team in the offseason.

Before the night was through Marchand had added a second assist and the Panthers walked away with a 4-3 victory.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brad Marchand brought to tears by Bruins tribute video, ovation in Boston return

Reporting by Jace Evans, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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