FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The left knee injury Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand suffered during a game in early October had him initially concerned that his season or even his career could be in jeopardy, he revealed on Thursday.

Those fears were quickly brought under control; the Panthers soon learned that Marchand would be able to begin on-ice rehab work within a few weeks, which was the case. Marchand said Thursday he hopes to return to game action within the next six weeks, possibly a bit less.

"I've never been so happy to be out for this amount of time," Marchand said. "The injury could have been so much worse. I've never hurt my knee before. I didn't really know what to think when I went down. I thought it really could have a career-ending type deal or a season-ending thing. When I found out it was going to be, whatever, a couple of months, I was pretty happy that that was the case. It's been getting better every day and getting stronger and we're working through it."

Marchand was hurt in early October in a game at Los Angeles, when he took a high stick late in the second period and wound up crashing into the goal post. His left knee bent at an awkward angle and he had to be helped off the ice by teammates, unable to put any weight on that leg.

That came on the heels of Florida captain Aleksander Barkov getting hurt in the Panthers' second game of the season -- after he missed all of last season with a knee injury. Barkov is also nearing a return and has been going through workouts with Marchand to get ready.

"Hopefully, soon, both of us will be back and it's been obviously great to share the experience with Marchy and just to see him on a daily basis, what he does, how he gets ready and just everything, like getting to know him a little more," Barkov said. "I didn't think I would ever say that before -- but it's been great. He's one of a kind."

Marchand, 38, is in his third season with the Panthers after playing his first 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins -- one of the team's top rivals. He was traded to Florida in March 2025 and helped the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup that season.

Marchand is under contract for four more seasons after this, so the Panthers clearly feel he has a ton of hockey left to play. He said he's hopeful he can dictate when his time is done -- and not have an injury make the decision. That's why he's embracing the rehab, doing all he can to get back into games before too much longer.

"When you win, that's what drives you. I want to win," Marchand said. "It's always been about that. ... The longer you play, you realize that you may think that you are going to have multiple opportunities throughout your career -- and I've been fortunate enough to have a few -- but you may never have another one. The older I get, I realize how little time I have left, and you want to make the most of it."

Marchand, Barkov and Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito were among those appearing Thursday at the unveiling of a newly designed Airbus A320 plane painted to pay tribute to the two-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise.

The plane, named "Go Cats Go," is painted in the team's red, with a Panther painted near the JetBlue logo. The team's shield is on the tail, and red letters spell out "FLORIDA" against a white belly underneath the plane.

Marchand was among those who signed the aircraft -- which was taking its first flight Thursday to Boston, his former home.

"It makes you feel a lot of pride," Zito said.