Marchand to guest-coach Halifax U18 game honoring Selah

Brad Marchand stepped away from the Florida Panthers this week to return to his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to serve as a guest coach for the under-18 March and Mill Co. Hunters on Wednesday, filling in for longtime friend and team coach JP MacCallum after MacCallum’s 10-year-old daughter, Selah Panacci-MacCallum, died following a yearlong fight with cancer. The game doubled as a fundraiser for the family, with organizers accepting donations and holding a raffle for an autographed Marchand jersey.

Marchand, 37, who co-owns the youth club with former Boston Bruins teammate Kevan Miller, missed the Panthers’ Tuesday game and was expected to rejoin Florida in time for Saturday’s matchup, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. Marchand and four friends manned the Hunters’ bench while MacCallum spent time with family, and the event included tributes to Selah, who had been closely connected to the team throughout her illness.

“We’ve known her from the day she was born and loved her since then,” Marchand said in a video posted after the game. “She loved hockey. She loved her dad’s team more than anything. She was always there supporting them.” He described the coaching gesture as a...