Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand, right, poses with a young fan at a meet-and-greet at the Dairy Queen in Sunrise, Florida on June 20. Photo by Florida PanthersArticle contentThe wildfire at Susie Lake is forcing Brad Marchand to move his Dairy Queen meet-and-greet across town.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe Florida Panthers winger was scheduled to host fans at a charity gathering at the nearby Bayers Road DQ between noon and 2 p.m. on Thursday but he’ll now be setting up shop at the Fall River location. The date and time will not change.Article contentArticle contentThe event will raise money for the IWK Health Centre in Halifax as part of the restaurant chain’s Miracle Treat Day campaign that supports Canadian children’s hospitals. A portion of that day’s Blizzard sales will go to the charity.Article contentArticle content“Our thoughts are with those impacted, and updates from local authorities are being monitored closely to guide any further decisions,” read a statement from Dairy Queen.Article contentMarchand’s association with the fast-food and ice cream shop dates back to a joke he made to reporters after a May playoff game. Cameras caught him licking something off a spoon between periods of a semifinal meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes and the 37-year-old from Hammonds Plains kidded it was a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard.Article content“It’s the best dessert in the world so I better get a lifetime free supply of Dairy Queen now,” he said at the time.Article contentThe sweet treat was actually honey and he later joked with reporters: “When I was growing up, I loved Winnie the Pooh. I used to have Winnie the Pooh, but I would feed him – the bear – honey, so it was covered and rock hard.”Article contentArticle contentBut by then the gag had already taken on a life of its own so everyone around the Panthers kept running with it. Florida players created a new playoff tradition of visiting Dairy Queen locations for pre-game treats, and Panthers general manager Bill Zito later joked during contract talks with Marchand that he purchased a franchise to sweeten the deal.Article content Brad Marchand celebrates with the Stanley Cup at the Florida Panthers parade in Fort Lauderdale in June. Photo by NHLArticle contentA DQ outlet in the Fort Lauderdale area also invited Marchand to celebrate National Ice Cream Day on June 20 and sold the Brad Blizzard, which was jokingly described as a chocolate “chirp” cookie dough flavour as a nod to Marchand’s well-established reputation as a trash talker.Article contentMarchand will sign autographs and pose for photos during his stop in Fall River.Article content
Brad Marchand charity meet-and-greet moved to Fall River Dairy Queen because of wildfire
