Mar 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Scott Laughton (24) skates during the warmup before a game against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Scott Laughton says he isn’t new to the chirping game, and he’s certainly not backing down from one of the current NHL’s greats at it. Ahead of Game 3 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, Laughton addressed his back-and-forth with Panthers forward Brad Marchand in the first period of Game 2.
As shown on the Sportsnet broadcast on Wednesday, exchanging words between the benches, Laughton appeared unfazed by Marchand’s antics.
“Yeah, we’ve gone at it quite a bit throughout my career. So, yeah, it’s nice. For myself, it gets you into the game a little bit. Yeah, it’s good,” said Laughton on Friday. “I probably talked a little bit too much when I was younger, and then I kinda reined it in. You have different little things with guys throughout. It’s just a little bit of chatter.”
That gritty edge is part of what Laughton has brought to the Leafs since being acquired at the trade deadline on March 7. It’s taken him some time to settle in fully, but his early play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs has validated the decision to bring him in. The 30-year-old doesn’t appear to be going out of his way to make verbal jabs, but he’s also not ducking them.
Asked whether he comes into games with chirps on the back-burner, Laughton said it’s mostly situational.
“Situational, I think. Depends on who it is, but got the lines sometimes ready to go,” he said.
Marchand, who has built a career out of agitating his opponents, particularly the Leafs, was quite complimentary of the current Toronto team following Game 2, compared to years past.
“We have our work cut out. They’re playing really well, and obviously, their top guys are capitalizing on every opportunity, it seems like… They came ready to play this round. We see that,” Marchand said.
That speaks volumes from someone who’s eliminated the Leafs multiple times (2013, 2018, 2019, 2024) as a member of the Boston Bruins. The former Bruins captain is widely considered one of the league’s best trash talkers and has been throughout his career, as seen in NHL player polls. Yet, it doesn’t seem Laughton, nor the Leafs, are buying into the Marchand intimidation factor.
So, does Laughton think Marchand is a good trash-talker?
“I’ll let that go to a couple of other guys, let them answer,” said Laughton.
The Leafs have managed to stand their ground through the opening two games of the second-round series, and Laughton is one of many welcome additions to a group that’s long struggled with playoff resilience and toughness. That’ll need to be on full display in Game 3 on Friday, entering the contest with a 2-0 series lead, threatening to put a stranglehold on the matchup.
But they’re expecting Florida to throw everything at them.
“Desperate hockey team. I think we need to be just as desperate,” Laughton explained. “I think coming on the road here, they play fast. They play fast, and we’re going to have to have a good start here and stay composed throughout, stay patient in our game, and find a way.”
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