Appreciation: The Panthers set their own path to a 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup
The best team in hockey, again, was a team that did things totally its own way.
The Florida Panthers went to Finland early in the season and wore their gifts from that trip — plush robes, a nod to the sauna culture there — to the next few games instead of suits and didn't care how ridiculous that looked. They blared Paul Simon's 'You Can Call Me Al' in the locker room after wins for reasons that nobody fully understood. They not only welcomed a one-time hated rival in Brad Marchand into the fold from Boston at the trade deadline, but they became Blizzard-eating buddies with him on off days during the playoffs.
'This team,' forward Matthew Tkachuk said at one point this season, shaking his head, 'is special.'
'Different,' was the word forward Evan Rodrigues used.
'They are something else,' coach Paul Maurice said.
Call them whatever you want. But you have to call them back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, an absolutely absurd development for a franchise that spent most of its first three decades unable to win anything but now simply cannot lose.
Final score: Panthers 5, Edmonton 1. Final score of the series: Panthers 4, Oilers 2. The result: Another Cup, and a team that won't be forgotten.
'It's incredible. It's a feeling you can't really describe,' Marchand said. 'Seeing the family and everyone up there and everyone that supported me and helped me get to this point, words can't put this into reality how great it feels. Such an incredible group.'
South Florida was a football town when the Miami Dolphins reigned 50 years ago, then became a basketball town when the Miami Heat started winning championships, and it's always been a baseball town because of the area's strong Latino culture. But now, it's a hockey town.
The Panthers never had any doubt that they would repeat as Stanley Cup champions. They didn't care what the regular season results were, nor did they care about their seeding, nor did they care that they were going to have to start every playoff series on the road and probably had the most difficult of all possible paths: in-state rival Tampa Bay in Round 1, a now-or-never Toronto team in Round 2, a tough-as-nails Carolina team for the Eastern Conference title, and after all that, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers were waiting to avenge their loss in last year's Stanley Cup Final.
The Lightning were overmatched. The Maple Leafs wore down. The Hurricanes couldn't keep up. And the Oilers, after a year of studying, had even fewer answers for the big test.
'We've got to be a dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. 'It's three years in a row, finals, two championships. This team is so special. Stanley Cup champion. This never gets old.'
Everything changed for Florida in July 2022 when general manager Bill Zito shocked everybody by swinging a trade with Calgary for Tkachuk. They went to the final in 2023 and got rolled by Vegas. Back to the final they went in 2024, nearly blowing a 3-0 lead before beating Edmonton for the franchise's first title. This season, there were injuries and suspensions and trades to deal with.
But there was no doubt. Maurice said all that mattered was getting into the playoffs healthy. He was right.
Tkachuk came back despite a torn adductor in time for Game 1 of the playoffs. Aaron Ekblad was back from a 20-game suspension for taking a banned substance in time for Game 3 of Round 1. The Panthers kept getting stronger and stronger, all the way to the end.
They have a player in captain Aleksander Barkov who rarely says anything, just leads by example. They have a goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky who never takes credit for wins, and whose many quirks include not getting any haircuts during the season. They have a coach in Maurice whose claims to fame include overzealous coffee consumption and copious swearing. They did not care who got the credit for anything, because it was a team built for just one thing — winning the Cup, something that required everyone on the roster to do something big at the right time.
That's exactly what happened. And when the Cup was awarded to Barkov, who accepted it as captain, he didn't hand it to Marchand or Tkachuk or Bobrovsky or playoffs MVP Sam Bennett.
He handed it to Nate Schmidt, because Schmidt — who paid for all those Blizzards, by the way — hadn't won a Cup before. And Schmidt handed it to another first-timer, Seth Jones, another late-season trade addition. And so on, and so on, and so on. The last on-ice act of the season was the epitome of what sort of team it was. Backup goalie Vitek Vanecek got to hoist it before most of the regulars; Vanecek, it should be noted, didn't play one second in these playoffs, and the Panthers could not have cared less. He was part of it. He earned his lap with the Cup.
'These men just love one another,' Maurice said. 'That's the only way to explain it.'
There's a parade in a few days, and then free agency is coming. Bennett could be moving on. Marchand might not stay. Ekblad's future is the source of speculation. The salary cap is the salary cap and everybody can't be kept. But it sounds like Florida will try to keep as much of this team together as possible.
'We're going to enjoy this together,' Bobrovsky said. 'And then, we'll go back to work.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Penguins' Game May Have Altered History For The Florida Panthers
Apr 11, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; aChicago Blackhawks center Tyler Johnson (90) collides with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) after Johnson scored a goal against the Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Chicago won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images On Tuesday, the Florida Panthers became back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 at home, 5-1. Not only was it Florida's second-straight Cup win, but it was also their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. They lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 before besting the Oilers in back-to-back Cup years, and - given that they handily beat a very good Edmonton team in six games despite partaking in their third-straight Final - they may not show any signs of slowing down. Advertisement But this near-dynastic force, in a way, all started with a loss in the spring of 2023 by a different NHL team. No, Florida isn't where they are because of a singular notch in the "L" column by the Pittsburgh Penguins. But, had Pittsburgh won this one game, a lot may have changed for Florida that could have altered their destiny. On Apr. 11, 2023 - in the penultimate game to their regular season - the Penguins were set to square off against the lowly, rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks on home ice. In order to end up clinching a playoff spot, Pittsburgh simply needed to beat Chicago, one of the league's worst teams. And they did not succeed. Can The Penguins Trade Up For Blackhawks' Third Overall Pick? Can The Penguins Trade Up For Blackhawks' Third Overall Pick? It has been rumored that the Advertisement Pittsburgh Penguins would like to trade up in the 2025 NHL Draft. Chicago went up, 1-0, approaching the midway point of the second period on a goal by defenseman Connor Murphy. Then, a little more than five minutes into the third, Penguins veteran forward Evgeni Malkin scored a power play goal to even the score. But - five minutes later - Pittsburgh was dealt a double-gut punch. Just past the 10-minute mark of the final frame, Buddy Robinson and Andreas Athanasiou scored back-to-back within 26 seconds to put the Hawks up, 3-1, pretty much sealing the deal. Pittsburgh forward Danton Heinen scored sandwiched between two Chicago empty-net goals by Tyler Johnson and Mackenzie Entwistle, but it was not enough. Pittsburgh was dealt a course-changing loss, as it, ultimately, led them to miss the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. They also lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime, 3-2, a few days later, but even if they won that game, the Penguins would have missed. Advertisement And the team that squeaked into the postseason instead? The Florida Panthers. Like Pittsburgh Before Them, The Florida Panthers Are Reinventing The Wheel Like Pittsburgh Before Them, The Florida Panthers Are Reinventing The Wheel Anyone who has been invested in the National Hockey League over the years knows that, as the seasons pile on, the game evolves. In the 2021-22 season, the Panthers won the President's Trophy as the best team in the league, but they were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning and made a shocking coaching change in the aftermath, hiring Paul Maurice and canning Andrew Brunette. They also shook up their roster in the offseason of 2022, acquiring and then extending Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames in exchange for star forward Jonathan Huberdeau and top-four defenseman Mackenzie Weegar. Advertisement There were a sequence of moves in the following years that made them what they are. But, had they missed the playoffs in 2023 after a President's Trophy-winning season - all because the Penguins beat the lowly Blackhawks - it stands to reason that Florida GM Bill Zito may have made some more impulse moves to shake things up after a near-miss. Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Maybe they would have fired Maurice. Maybe they never go out and get veterans like Brad Marchand, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Seth Jones. There's no telling how their timeline and their roster management would have played out had the Penguins won that game against Chicago. Every ounce of credit goes to Zito and the Panthers for becoming the machine they are today. More than likely, it was bound to happen eventually, anyway, regardless of what happened in terms of the 2023 postseason. Advertisement But the Penguins inadvertently opened the door of opportunity for the Panthers to begin their run at three straight Final appearances when they lost, perhaps, one of the most winnable "must-win" games in franchise history. As a result, the Penguins became a cellar dwellar. And the Panthers became a monster. Amazingly, unbelievably, incredibly, the Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions Amazingly, unbelievably, incredibly, the Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! Featured image credit: Charles LeClaire - Imagn Images
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ducati unveils special livery for the Italian Grand Prix
'It's part of who I am': Negotiations ongoing between Aaron Ekblad, Panthers as defenseman reiterates desire to stay It's no secret that Aaron Ekblad wants to remain with the Florida Panthers.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Kraken Defenseman Wins Cup With Panthers
Florida Panthers defenseman Jaycob Megna (6) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Former Seattle Kraken defenseman Jaycob Megna took home his first Stanley Cup after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6. The 32-year-old didn't play in postseason games this season but recorded eight games during the regular season. The 6'6 defenseman was born in Plantation, FL and signed as a free agent this past offseason. Megna will become an unrestricted free agent on July. 1, available to sign with any NHL team. Advertisement Megna was traded to the Kraken by the San Jose Sharks for a 4th-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft before the trade deadline. He played just six games with the Kraken, failing to record a point before the Chicago Blackhawks claimed him off waivers. With his Stanley Cup triumph, Megna becomes the first former Kraken player to win the Stanley Cup who played a game with the Kraken. Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
