Latest news with #SethJones
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
After reaching NHL elite status, Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski craves winning even more
COLUMBUS, Ohio — As if missing the Stanley Cup playoffs by one win wasn't tantalizing enough, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has had two moments since the end of the season that have intensified his desire to play for a contender in Columbus. The first pangs struck in late May, when Werenski and the United States won the gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, the first gold for Team USA since 1933. Advertisement 'I forgot how much fun winning was,' said Werenski, who was named the tournament's top defenseman. 'I won the Calder (Cup) when I first signed out of college (with AHL Cleveland in 2016), but I didn't really understand then what it meant to win and how hard it was. 'After Worlds, I texted some people who are close to me. I think this is verbatim: 'I love winning and I want more of it.'' The second instance was earlier this week, as he watched the Florida Panthers hoist the Stanley Cup for a second straight year. That included his former teammates, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and defenseman Seth Jones, as well as Panthers GM Bill Zito, who worked previously in the Blue Jackets front office. Jones, who once partnered with Werenski on the Blue Jackets' top pair, was traded from Chicago to Florida in early March. He was the third player to hold the Cup in the on-ice celebration after Florida captain Aleksander Barkov and veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt. 'I'm really happy for Jonesy,' Werenski said. 'With his situation in Chicago, it obviously wasn't the best with what was going on there. For him to get a fresh start and be reunited with Billy and Bob and be part of that team in Florida, it's awesome. 'And, in a way, you wish that was you. I texted (Jones) after (Tuesday's Game 6), just saying how much he deserved it. But that adds more motivation, right? You want to be in that position after seeing one of your friends there. It was the same with Savvy (David Savard) when we traded him to Tampa Bay (2021). 'You're so happy for him, but deep down you're like, 'F—, I kinda want that to be me.'' Werenski is coming off the best season of his career. He set multiple personal and franchise records, finishing with 23 goals, 59 assists and 82 points in 81 games. He finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy and seventh in voting for the Hart Trophy. The 27-year-old was a driving force for a Blue Jackets club that became one of the best stories in the NHL. Columbus was expected to be a lottery team, but instead was the league's last club to be eliminated from the playoffs, making a 23-point improvement from 2023-24. Advertisement He was also Team USA's leading scorer and a standout player at the 4 Nations Face-off. But Werenski said he hasn't taken much time to look back on the season. After a short break, he changed his mind and decided to play for Team USA in the World Championships, then stayed in Europe to take a pre-marriage honeymoon — he and his fiancée are marrying in July — so that he'd have time to train and prepare for training camp. 'I'm more motivated now than ever,' Werenski said. 'I'm back in offseason mode, and I really haven't had much time to think about our season, and I don't think I will. 'The one thing that stood out to me, watching (Tuesday's Game 6) was how much fun Florida was having, that atmosphere. That's the next step. It's great to have some individual success, but … ' As he watched Florida play during the last two postseasons, Werenski said, he couldn't help but wonder what the Blue Jackets needed to do to reach that standard. The Jackets are a very young team, but will those young players mature into the rugged, battle-tested players that the Panthers have up and down their lineup? GM Don Waddell wants to make bold moves to move the Blue Jackets forward, but will he be able to land the right pieces like Zito has in Florida? 'You definitely think about it,' Werenski said. 'That's the standard, right? They've been to three Finals in a row, won two Cups in a row. Their core is pretty much staying together. They're the team to beat again next year, and so you have to think about that. 'We have to get (to the playoffs) first, but if we do get there, these are the teams we have to go through. I would assume every GM, coach and player, top to bottom, thinks that way: Can we beat this team? Are we built good enough to beat this team?' It might have sounded ridiculous to ask that question one year ago. It's still a reach, but the Blue Jackets had several of their young players bloom dramatically last season. Adam Fantilli, 20, and Kirill Marchenko, 24, each had 31 goals. Kent Johnson, 22, was third on the team in goals (24) and tied for third in points (57). Advertisement Waddell had the second-most cap space in the NHL ($40 million) and two first-round draft picks to use as trade chips, so there's a chance the Blue Jackets' lineup will be bolstered by this time next month. There is still a ton of work to do in Columbus, but one could argue that the future — if Waddell can keep this group together — has never been brighter with the Blue Jackets. Werenski said he started skating earlier this week. He'll skate three times a week until August, then ramp up to four days a week until September. In late August, he'll head to Plymouth, Mich., for Team USA summer Olympic camp, with the expectation that he'll play for the red, white and blue in Italy next winter. For the next couple of weeks, he'll help put the finishing touches on the wedding plans while watching closer as Waddell makes his roster moves. A few players are certain to leave via free agency, but Waddell is intent on making upgrades, too. Werenski's not in full-blown hockey mode just yet. The offseason is important, too. But he's begun to look forward to next season, and there's optimism in his gaze. 'We have the culture in place,' Werenski said. 'I know we've said that for years, that we have a great group, and we did. But I don't think we had the culture like we did this past season. It was obvious in how we played, how we handled ourselves, how hard we competed. We truly have that now. 'You don't lose that togetherness in three months. We'll build off it next season. But I don't think we're going to have any issues in training camp with guys understanding their roles, or understanding the expectations, or how we have to play. 'Last year was a great year for us, but we fell short of the playoffs. Next season, the expectations are going to be higher.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
This family became the first to win a Stanley Cup and NBA title
Keeping up with the Joneses just got a lot more difficult. On Tuesday night, as Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career, the veteran skater's family completed arguably the most rare sports feat we've seen. The Joneses just became the first family to win both a Stanley Cup and NBA championship. Advertisement It's a feat so stunning you almost don't think it could ever happen. Seth Jones father, Popeye, was a 10-year NBA forward who eventually won a title as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. At the time the Nuggets won, it didn't seem like Seth was going to come particularly close to a title of his own anytime soon. The veteran defenseman was stuck as the captain of a Chicago Blackhawks club that had made itself nice and comfortable at the bottom of the NHL standings. That all changed this February, when Jones demanded a trade and found himself heading to the defending Stanley Cup champions days later. Fast forward a few months and Jones is lifting the Cup himself. Congrats to the Jones family, who we have to assume will come for Major League Baseball or the NFL next to keep adding to their mantle. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Seth Jones and father Popeye made NHL and NBA championship history
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"Amazing athletic genes": Reddit reacts as NBA champion Popeye Jones and Stanley Cup winner son Seth Jones make sports history
Popeye Jones and Seth Jones (via Getty Images) The world of sports adores a happy tale, and Reddit just discovered its new favorite. In a viral forum that instantly garnered buzz throughout hockey fandom, fans found an amazing coincidence: Seth Jones, just off a Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers, is Popeye Jones' son, the former NBA player and assistant coach who won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. Reddit hails unusual father-son moment as Seth Jones becomes second Jones to win championship The discussion started when users started posting clips of Seth Jones hoisting the Stanley Cup following the Florida Panthers' six-game win over the Edmonton Oilers. That alone was something to celebrate. But another fact caught fans' attention, not just from the NHL community but also from the NBA world—Seth Jones' father, Popeye Jones, played 11 seasons in the NBA as a journeyman forward. Redditors were left amazed. "I had no idea Popeye Jones was his dad! Amazing stuff! And amazing athletic genes!" one of them wrote. "The genes are strong," another wrote. The thread went viral not only due to the sensationalism, but due to the fact that such cross-sport, father-son championship pair is very rare, if not unheard of, in high-level North American sports. 'Only person on Florida I'm happy for because of that,' one commenter wrote. It seems Seth and his brother Caleb learned to skate in Colorado as Popeye played for the Nuggets during the late '90s. The thread says Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic told Popeye to get his son's skates before sticks. That tip made all the difference. Seth Jones, at this point in his career, a mid-career NHL defenseman, is one of the league's most consistent blueliners. His Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers puts a capstone on a truly generational story of success, and Reddit was on hand to connect the dots in real time. Also read: NBA legend Charles Barkley holds grudge against NHL player Seth Jones for strangest reason A moment Reddit won't forget In an age where sports fandom happens one post at a time, Reddit brought attention to a multi-generational victory that many overlooked. Amid all the arguments over numbers and legacies, sometimes it's the off-the-beaten-path family ties that unite fans. From courtside to rinkside, the Jones family now occupies a special and memorable space in sports history. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
This time around, Panthers' on-ice celebrations with the Stanley Cup were different
SUNRISE, Fla. – All you need to know about what makes the Florida Panthers special was revealed in the moments immediately after captain Sasha Barkov got his hands back on the Stanley Cup Tuesday. Rather than taking a customary solo lap around the ice at Amerant Bank Arena, Barkov skated directly into a red swarm of his teammates after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented him with the shiny silver trophy for the second straight spring. ALEKSANDER BARKOV IS A 2X STANLEY CUP CHAMPION!! — x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 18, 2025 Barkov wasn't done there. The Panthers captain orchestrated a Cup pass line that saw every first-time winner get their hands on it before the team's stars took a twirl. That started with Nate Schmidt and Seth Jones, two veteran NHLers who joined the Panthers after last year's victory over the Edmonton Oilers, but also included multiple players who didn't see a minute of game action during the entire playoffs. Advertisement 'I didn't know, honestly,' said Schmidt, a first-time champion in his 12th NHL season. 'He just looked at me and he gave me the 'captain' death stare. You don't turn those eyes away. They said, 'We're gonna take a back seat to you guys.' It means a lot. 'Yeah … this group is really special. And now we'll be able to share this memory forever.' BARKOV HANDS THE #STANLEYCUP TO FIRST-TIME WINNER NATE SCHMIDT 👏 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 18, 2025 You won't find an NHL team that battles its way to the top of the mountain without being close, but these Panthers took the 'we before me' ethos to a new level entirely. After accepting the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, Sam Bennett waited another 10 minutes to hoist the Stanley Cup while 16 of his teammates got the honor ahead of him. Only here would it be possible for Evan Cormier to get a spot in line ahead of Bennett or Sam Reinhart, who scored four goals on four shots in Tuesday's Cup-clinching game. The third-string goaltender probably won't even get his name engraved in the trophy this summer after playing 36 games for the ECHL's Savannah Ghost Pirates this season. Barkov initially reminded him to pass the Stanley Cup to GM Bill Zito from the end of the player line, but a group of his teammates pushed him out there much sooner than that. Instead he ended up handing the trophy off to Sergei Bobrovsky, the first repeat champion to get it after the newcomers had each been recognized. 'It's surreal. I'm speechless right now,' said Cormier. 'I didn't butt in front of anybody, I was just waiting my turn. They just told me to go.' Tomas Nosek, who along with Schmidt was part of the Vegas Golden Knights expansion team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final to Washington in 2018, was another one of those first-time winners who received the Cup before Bennett, Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. Advertisement His Stanley Cup Final got off to a rocky start when in Game 1 in overtime, he flipped a puck over the glass for a penalty that resulted in Leon Draisaitl's power-play winner. That's one big reason Nosek after the game embraced Maurice, who stood behind him and kept playing him. The 32-year-old broke down on Maurice's left shoulder. 'Indescribable,' Nosek said. 'There still is so many emotions. Can't figure out which one is which. It's happiness. It's belief. It's dream come true. It's everything mixed up. I'm just so happy I got the chance to sign here.' Nosek, who has a touching moment breaking down on Maurice's shoulder: 'I'm so glad I signed here.' — Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) June 18, 2025 Maurice said that moment with Nosek will be one of the most special memories of his career. 'What a wonderful thing for those guys to be on the ice when it went to zero,' Maurice said of his fourth liners, which included A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich. 'We're in trouble. We're down 2-0 to Toronto, and those three guys came in and they changed our fortune and earned the right to be on the ice at the end. 'That's a tough way to start your final (for Nosek). We shared things (as we hugged). I missed a line change in one of the games that cost us a goal that cost us a game in my mind. But the players rally around you and take care of ya. So that was kind of like the two guys who screwed up. That was very special for me. That will be one that I'll never forget.' For Schmidt, who took a million less from the Panthers than he could have got elsewhere, the move to Florida reinvigorated his career. He spent the playoffs writing his young child emails about what's been going on in his life. He said he couldn't wait to write the final chapter about winning the Stanley Cup, something they'll eventually share together when his boy learns how to read. Advertisement 'It doesn't really register right away,' Schmidt said. 'Can't really feel it until that Cup comes out on the ice. You don't really know until you see it, feel it. It's got its own heartbeat.' Schmidt says there's a reason why so many players the past three years have come to Florida and had career years. 'Just completely selfless,' he said. 'Guys just play one way, and they say, 'Hey, this is how we do things,' and you got to jump on board. And guys, they mold themselves, and you just become another cog in the wheel here. That's just the way it runs. It's just a well-oiled machine. You just don't know how you're going to fit in, right? You come into the group that just brings you right in from the beginning. I couldn't be more blessed.' And then there's Jones, who publicly begged to get out of Chicago before Zito came to the rescue. He was acquired from the basement-dwelling Blackhawks on March 2. He called this a 'freakin' whirlwind.' 'This feeling itself is amazing,' said Jones, standing next to his father, former NBA player Popeye Jones. 'It's lighter than you think. When you're so just amped up, your adrenaline, you're carrying it, and you lift it and all the fans are going nuts, you want to hold it forever. You get your lap with it, you kiss it, it's just a great feeling. 'All the hard work you put in, the day in and day out, the workouts, the practices, the training camp, everything — it all comes together, and it's all worth it. I talked to these guys on the phone, I talked to Bill, this was the only goal. This is their only thing they have in mind. They want to win another one, and I'm so happy they believed in me and wanted me to come here.' Seth Jones: 'what a freakin' whirlwind' — Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) June 18, 2025 The Panthers already owned the Stanley Cup after a seven-game series win over Edmonton, but they needed reinforcements to take a run at it again. Less than a week after last year's final, they said goodbye to virtually all of the depth that fueled the run, including two top-six defensemen, four bottom-six forwards and the backup goaltender. Advertisement How enthusiastically they embraced a former nemesis in Marchand after a deadline-day trade with the Boston Bruins spoke volumes. He wound up contributing 10 goals during these playoffs, including two overtime winners. 'Billy just went out and got (Marchand) and he meant everything to us,' said Rick Dudley, the senior adviser to Zito. 'You can't have enough of those types of people. He went after this guy and boy, was it a clutch move. I don't know that we're here without him.' Ask any of the Panthers, though, and they'll tell you that every member of their entourage had a hand in seeing them through a difficult playoff journey that included 10 road victories. 'It takes everyone,' Marchand said. They were a true band of brothers. 'On the road, it was together – no matter what,' said Tkachuk. 'Like every single person, trainers, everything. We'd go to the lounge and every single person (was there). This team is as tight of a team as you're going to find in pro sports and that's a huge reason why we won.' There was no denying that when it came time for them to take another dance with Stanley, the feeling on the ice was a little different this year. Less exuberance, but maybe a touch more satisfaction. 'The awareness that it doesn't go captain to captain to captain to Sam Reinhart, who scored four,' said Maurice. 'The awareness of each other, all those guys that touched it first, it was their first Cup, so that's what makes these men special. To be aware of that, they're just not selfish at all. There's no pecking order.' For all the brute force the Panthers often displayed in the heat of battle, there was something beautiful about the love they showed, too. The way they looked out for each other, and looked after each other. A true example for 31 other NHL organizations to strive for. 'It's actually not the Stanley Cups,' said Maurice. 'Watching these guys interact with each other, that's been the gift (of) this place.' Although the Stanley Cups are nice, too.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Panthers star Sam Bennett wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP
Bennett also was a factor throughout the playoffs making big hits, crowding the crease and knocking opponents off their game. He drew anger from the Maple Leafs after he Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Everyone looks at the goals and rightfully so, but it's everything he does, even away from the puck,' teammate Seth Jones said. 'His physical presence out there, his 200-foot game, the way he plays away from the puck defensively, how he is on face-offs, I think it's the complete package we're lucky to have. It's been a big part of our success. He puts a lot of teams, a lot of defensemen on their heels out there.' Advertisement Bennett's game traveled, too. In Game 2 against Edmonton, he scored his 12th road goal of 2025 to set an NHL record. Related : Advertisement Bennett could parlay his massive postseason success into a lucrative contract as a free agent whether he re-signs with Florida or goes elsewhere. The 28-year-old said it has 'actually been pretty easy' to set aside his pending free agency and uncertain future. 'Competing for a Stanley Cup has always been my goal and my passion, and what I've wanted to do,' Bennett said before Game 6. 'That's just my focus. That's all I want, and it's been quite easy to just not even think about what's to come. I mean, yeah, it's really just a singular focus and that's how I've tried to handle it.' Bennett contributed to back-to-back goals in Game 1 by standing in front of and falling onto Skinner, and he made a big hit on Vasily Podkolzin and scored seconds later in Florida's Game 3 victory. All series, he was in the middle of the action. MAKE A HIT ✅ POT A BEAUTY ✅ Sam Bennett is an absolute force to be reckoned with. 🇺🇸: 🇨🇦: — NHL (@NHL) 'Physical player, incredible speed and then the hands to finish,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. In a lot of ways, Bennett embodies Panthers hockey: hard-nosed, tough, willing to mix it up and also skilled enough to take advantage of mistakes. 'He does it all — it's fun to watch,' fourth liner Jonah Gadjovich said. 'He's throwing huge hits, he's playing hard defensively, working pucks in the corners, getting to the net, and obviously scoring a ton of goals. . . . He's one of the leaders on the team, someone that we can all get behind.'
