Bennett has heartfelt reaction to winning Stanley Cup with Marchand originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett was the top villain in Boston during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he appeared to hit then-Bruins captain Brad Marchand in the head during Game 3 of their second-round series at TD Garden.

Marchand was knocked out of the game as a result of the hit and also didn’t play in Game 4. The Panthers won both of those games and ultimately eliminated the B’s in Game 6.

Bennett was not suspended for the hit, which angered Bruins fans. There was no penalty called on the play, either.

Fast forward a year and Bennett and Marchand are not only friends, they just won the Stanley Cup together with the Panthers. That sentence would have sounded absurd if you said it at this time last year.

But unfortunately for Bruins fans, it’s reality.

The B’s dealt Marchand to the Panthers at the trade deadline on March 7, and he played a key role in the Panthers securing their second straight Stanley Cup title, culminating with a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Cup Final on Tuesday night.

Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and when asked about Marchand after the game, he gave a heartfelt answer on the bond the two players have created.

“As soon as he got traded here, he chirped me in the group chat instantly for our history and the (2024) playoffs,” Bennett told reporters at his press conference.

“What he’s meant to this team — I truly don’t think we win a Stanley Cup without him. His leadership, his will to win, it’s inspiring. I was telling him before every game, ‘We’re going to follow you.’ And we did. He was a dog every night. He for sure could have won this trophy.

“He’s a better player and person than I ever knew, and I’m grateful that I got to play with him.”

Marchand tallied 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 games during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including six goals in the Cup Final. Bennett posted 22 points in 23 games, including a playoff-leading 15 goals (five in the Cup Final).

Either one of them would have been a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Bennett won it after receiving 76 voting points (including 11 first-place votes), eight more than Marchand’s 68 voting points.

The question now is will these guys be back in Florida next season? Both Marchand and Bennett are able to become unrestricted free agents this summer.

The Hockey News is happy to bring you a comparison between the rookie seasons of three of the most exciting young defensemen to play in the NHL, in collaboration with RG.org. Our partners extracted the stats necessary to bring you this in-depth look at Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson’, Colorado Avalanche Cale Makar’, and Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes’ rookie seasons.

Habs fans will be glad to see that Hutson’s rookie season compares well to the Colorado and Vancouver franchise cornerstones. It doesn’t guarantee that he’ll achieve the same status, but it’s at the very least very interesting to see.

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Hutson led all NHL rookies in scoring and finished seventh among all defensemen in total points. He broke the Canadiens’ franchise record for a rookie blueliner. Makar and Hughes also reached high production benchmarks in their first full seasons, with Makar winning the Calder Trophy and Hughes being named a finalist alongside him. The Canadiens' rookie recorded more points than the other two, but he achieved this by playing more games.

Ice Time & Usage

Interestingly, Hutson had more ice time than both Hughes and Makar, while receiving less power-play ice time than they did. The naysayers often said this year that the Canadiens’ rearguard was shielded and received too many offensive zone starts, but he got fewer than both Hughes and Makar. There’s even a significant different with the Canucks defenseman.

Unsurprisingly, none of them spent a significant amount of time on the ice when their team was down a man. Nowadays, however, Makar features on the Avalanche's top penalty kill unit, while Hughes skates on the second line for Vancouver. Will Hutson ever get there? It remains to be seen.

5v5 Advanced Metrics

This is where Makar and Hughes outperformed the Canadiens' youngster. For those unfamiliar with the Corsi metric, the Corsi number for an individual player is calculated by dividing the number of shot attempts his team receives at even strength while he is on the ice by the number of shot attempts the opponent gets while he is on the ice. Essentially, it’s a bit like plus minus, but with shots. Here, it’s expressed as a percentage that's calculated by taking the shot attempts for and dividing them by the shot attempts against.

As for the xGF%, it represents the expected goals for and evaluates the quality of shot attempts made when a player is on the ice. It’s about the likelihood that a goal will be scored. Hutson trails the other two defensemen by less in this category, which is arguably more critical than the Corsi number.

xGA/60 represents the expected goals against per 60 minutes, and of course, the lower the number, the better. Both Makar and Hughes fare better than the Canadiens’ blueliner in that department. There is room for improvement, but it's worth noting that the Avalanche (.657) and the Canucks (.565) had a higher points percentage in Makar and Hughes’ rookie season than the Canadiens did this season (.555). As Montreal improves, so will Hutson’s number in that department.

SCF% represents the scoring chance percentage, basically the attempts that hit the net and are counted as a scoring chance. As for the HDCF%, it focuses on high danger chances; in both categories, the higher the number, the better. Hutson trails both Hughes and Makar in both of these categories, and the difference is more flagrant with the Colorado blueliner.

Still, Hutson’s 5v5 profile was close to neutral in possession but slightly positive in expected goals and high-danger chance generation. His numbers suggest offensive involvement despite not driving play at the same level as Hughes or Makar.

WAR/GAR Summary

WAR represents the wins above replacement and is calculated to measure a player's complete performance. It’s essentially using offensive, defensive, and other aspects of the game to calculate the number of wins a player contributes to the team. As for GAR, it represents goals above replacement and takes into account a player’s offense, defense, and penalties. These numbers show just how elite Hughes and Makar are.

You can see an overall percentile grade for Hutson in various categories in the card below. Hutson ranked in the 92nd percentile in overall WAR. He stood out in playmaking and puck movement, particularly at even strength and on the power play. His defensive impact was limited, but his ability to drive offense, draw penalties, and find high-percentage passes positioned him as one of the league’s most productive offensive defensemen in his first year.

Postseason Performance

All three defensemen made the playoffs in their rookie season and left a mark in the postseason tournament. Hutson’s sample was much smaller, with the young Canadiens being eliminated in just five games by the Washington Capitals; however, he still led all Habs defensemen in points in the playoffs, and also led all Montreal players. Cole Caufield was second with four points, and Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Christian Dvorak all had two points.

Makar was a point-per-game performer, and Hughes was one point short of it. It’s impossible to know if Hutson could have remained a PPG player had the Canadiens gone deeper in the postseason, but given how he performed all through the season, it would have made sense.

Overall, this exercise demonstrates that Hutson’s rookie season positions him firmly in the same elite rookie tier as Makar and Hughes. His numbers also illustrate the importance Hutson held for the Canadiens, who trusted him in key situations. Even though he was playing in his first complete season, Hutson showed he could already be a top-pairing defenseman.

The following sites were used by RG.org to compile the data necessary to produce the numbers:

• NHL.com

• Hockey-Reference.com

• Natural Stat Trick

• JFresh Hockey (via TopDownHockey / PuckPedia / NHL Rosters)

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Unless Kent Hughes pulls out yet another draft trade, the Montreal Canadiens will be picking twice in the first round. Once at number 16 in place of the Calgary Flames, thanks to the Sean Monahan trade in August 2022, and a second time with their pick.

In their history, the Canadiens have picked 16th four times. Were there good players in the lot? Were there some busts? Does history give us hope as to the value of the first of the Canadiens’ two first-round picks?

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Montreal used the 16th selection in 2020, 2000, 1998, and 1985. Nobody will be surprised to hear that they selected Kaiden Guhle with the pick in 2020 and that he has since become a part of the Habs’ young core. If it weren’t for all the injuries, he would have been close to a perfect pick.

In 2000, they opted for Marcel Hossa, Marian’s younger brother. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the name was pretty much all they shared. Marcel didn’t have the talent or NHL longevity his brother was blessed with. He played 59 NHL games in Montreal, gathering 19 points before being traded to the New York Rangers for Garth Murray. He then spent three years with the Rangers and one with the Phoenix Coyotes before retiring from the NHL after 237 games and 61 points.

In 1998, the Canadiens used the 16th overall pick to choose Eric Chouinard, son of coach Guy Chouinard. The big winger had dominated in the QMJHL, posting seasons of 83, 109, and 104 points. His skills didn’t translate very well to the NHL, and after two and a half seasons, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for a second-round pick at the following draft, which became Maxim Lapierre. In the end, Chouinard only played 90 games in the NHL, picking up 26 points in the process before heading overseas to play there.

Finally, in 1985, Montreal picked Tom Chorske. The American needed a few years before making the jump to the pros, but he broke into the Canadiens' lineup in 1989-90, skating in 14 games and picking up four points. Then, in the following season, he skated in 57 games with the Canadiens, registering 20 points. He was a promising player, but the following September, he was sent to the New Jersey Devils along with Stephane Richer for Roland Melanson and Kirk Muller. Overall, Chorsle played 596 games in the NHL across 11 seasons, scoring 237 points.

It's not the largest sample, but it does illustrate how hit-and-miss drafting can be, even in the first round. We'll have a look at picks number 17 in the coming days. 

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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The worst Philadelphia Flyers trade of all time hits a little closer to home after the Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup Tuesday night.

How Sergei Bobrovsky left the Flyers is something fans won't soon forget, and the Russian's success post-Philadelphia is all the reason for it.

Just two years into his Flyers tenure, Bobrovsky was traded by the Flyers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for an assortment of mid-round draft picks that ultimately became Anthony Stolarz, Taylor Leier, and Justin Auger.

The three of those players combined never experienced success at the NHL level to the degree Bobrovsky has, and Stolarz, ironically, has taken flight after leaving the Flyers himself.

In fact, the Edison, N.J., native was 16-7-2 with a 2.03 GAA, a .925 save percentage, and two shutouts as Bobrovsky's backup last year. The two former Flyers, of course, went on to win the Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

For good measure, Stolarz was 21-8-3 for former Flyers coach Craig Berube's Toronto Maple Leafs this season, racking up an outstanding 2.14 GAA, a .926 save percentage, and a career-high four shutouts en route to picking up a Vezina Trophy vote.

As for Bobrovsky, nothing out of the ordinary for the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. The 36-year-old just enjoyed arguably his greatest postseason run yet, going 16-7 for the Panthers to the tune of a 2.20 GAA, a .914 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Flyers Draft 2025: Who Are the Best (and Worst) Trade-Up Targets for Philly?With seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, the possibilities are endless for the Philadelphia Flyers. They could use all seven picks, trade up once, trade up twice, or even trade down like they did in 2024.

Formerly undrafted, Bobrovsky has now gone to the Stanley Cup Finals three years in a row, going the distance and winning all 16 necessary games in the last two.

Bobrovsky arrived in Philadelphia the season after their run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final run, and current Flyers GM Danny Briere, who was teammates with Bobrovsky and dealt with the immediate aftermath of his departure from Philadelphia, should know better than most the value of good goaltending and what it means to give up on young goalies too early.

Briere's Flyers had the worst team save percentage in the NHL this season (.872), trailing the Buffalo Sabres (.880) by a decent margin.

It's unclear if developing goalies like Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov can be the answer, and an inexperienced (at the NHL level) veteran in Ivan Fedotov is essentially out of developmental runway.

Briere knows he needs a franchise goalie at some point, but will he be trading for his Bobrovsky or will he repeat history and trade his Bobrovsky away?

On the other side of arguably the worst Flyers trade of all time, Bobrovsky has secured his status as a future Hockey Hall of Famer and one of the best playoff goalies ever.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk revealed his several injuries suffered during the playoffs. 

Matthew Tkachuk’s performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final was hard fought as he helped his Florida Panthers finish off the Edmonton Oilers in six games with a dominant 5–1 win at home.

The win secured Florida their second straight Stanley Cup and inserted the teams name into the conversation of a hockey dynasty as this was their third straight finals appearance.

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In post-series interviews, Tkachuk revealed he had played the entirety of the playoffs with a completely torn adductor that was ripped off the bone as well as a sports hernia, both on the same side. 

Tkachuk confessed that he had “wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times” but was kept in the lineup thanks to intensive medical management. 

Despite missing the end of the regular season, he returned in Game 1 of the opening round, ultimately contributing eight goals and 23 points in as many games, including a clutch goal in Game 6 on Tuesday. 

The physical toll of such injuries is immense. A torn adductor avulsion off the bone typically requires surgery followed by four to six months of rehabilitation, a timeline mirrored by recovery from a hernia, depending on severity.

Panthers insiders, including coach Paul Maurice, have expressed cautious optimism that Tkachuk could be ready for the playoffs next year, but warned that starting the season in late 2025 may be more realistic than expecting him in opening night form. Rushing him back too soon could increase the risk of chronic injury. 

This will be one of the many offseason stories for the Panthers as they are facing serious offseason roster decisions, especially as they chase a historic third straight Stanley Cup.

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Early futures emerged with Florida at +750 odds to win the 2025‑26 Stanley Cup, but their cap situation is tense with roughly $19 million available yet have three massive pending unrestricted free agents in Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, who will likely all require big tickets following another successful Stanley Cup win. 

These roster variables, combined with Tkachuk’s injury uncertainty, complicate Florida’s path to a three-peat. While the +750 odds may look juicy, they don’t factor in the potential early-season absence of their star winger and the possibility of losing key contributors.

Bettors and fans alike should temper their expectations, as they shouldn't get too greedy and enjoy their second straight Stanley Cup as it's a legendary moment before thinking about a third. 

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The weeks leading up to NHL free agency - as well as the 2025 NHL Draft on Jun. 27-28 - have been quite eventful and interesting up to this point.

And that is especially true for young forwards on the trade market, as yet another name was added to the list.

On Sunday, it was reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo Sabres young star forward JJ Peterka is now on the trade market.

Elliotte Friedman updates on how things may have shifted regarding JJ Peterka’s future in Buffalo (32 Thoughts) pic.twitter.com/BmRPccNxzR

— sabresource (@sabresource1) June 15, 2025

Peterka, 23, joins other young players allegedly on the trade market, such as Tampa Bay Lightning forward prospect Isaac Howard, Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi, Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, and - potentially - Dallas Stars star forward Jason Robertson.

Realistically, Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas should be calling on all of these guys to at least get a feel for what the price would be. Pittsburgh has 30 draft picks over the next three seasons - including 18 in the first three rounds - which is more than any other team in hockey.

They also have valuable trade chips in Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson, who have each generated some degree of interest on the trade market.

But, of all these names, Peterka may just be the perfect fit for the Penguins.

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His defense isn't something that is going to "wow" anyone, but the talent is there. The young right winger keeps getting better year-by-year, as he put up 28 goals and 68 points in 77 games last season - an 18-point increase over his 2023-24 totals. 

Peterka's goal-scoring ability, creativity, disruptiveness, and forechecking ability - to pair with his age - is the kind of thing that the Penguins should be looking to add at this juncture in their rebuild.

A pending-restricted free agent (RFA) this summer, Peterka is, apparently, displeased in Buffalo and is looking for a change, while Buffalo still prefers to keep him, if possible. Therefore, the price will likely be a bit hefty, but it's something that should be well-worth the risk.

Dubas mentioned that the Penguins may dabble in the RFA trade-then-sign market. Peterka is the perfect opportunity for him to swing a bit bigger and, potentially, help the organization in the long-term.

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Feature image credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The American Hockey League has a new record holder. In Game 3 of the 2025 Calder Cup Finals, Abbotsford Canucks forward Linus Karlsson scored his 11th goal of the playoffs, setting a new record in goals scored in a single postseason by a Swedish player. Previously, this record was held by Andreas Johnsson and Mikael Andersson, who each had 10. 

Karlsson has been a rock for Abbotsford throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs, acting as the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals and nine assists in 21 games played. Despite missing playing time during the AHL’s regular season due to being called up by the Vancouver Canucks, Karlsson still registered 23 goals and 16 assists in 32 games with Abbotsford. Earlier in the season, he set an Abbotsford franchise record for most goals scored in an AHL career with the AHL Canucks with 66. 

In his time with Vancouver in the 2024–25 season, Karlsson made his presence known by getting himself to the front of the net and scoring three goals and three assists in 23 NHL games. This included his first NHL goal, which he tallied on January 29, 2025 against the Nashville Predators. He has been in the Canucks’ system since 2019, when he was traded from the San Jose Sharks for Jonathan Dahlén. 

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Karlsson and the AHL Canucks are currently fighting for the series lead in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals, with Games 4 and 5 on home ice for Abbotsford. They’ll play in front of the home crowd two more times during this season on June 19 and 21. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Only three NHL players recorded a hat trick in their team's Stanley Cup-clinching game heading into Tuesday night. But Florida Panthers right winger Sam Reinhart went one step further to do something only one other player has done.

Reinhart not only scored a hat trick but added another for a four-goal game as the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 to successfully defend their Stanley Cup championship. He opened the scoring early in the first period and scored on Stuart Skinner in the second period to extend the lead to 3-0. In the final half of the third period, Reinhart added two empty-net goals.

Reinhart became the first NHL player to score four goals in a Cup final game since Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice 'Rocket' Richard did so on April 6, 1957, against the Boston Bruins. But Richard's performance came in Game 1.

For the last time a player scored four times in his team's Cup-winning game, we must go back 103 years.

On March 28, 1922, the Toronto St. Pat's won the NHL championship series to take on the Pacific Coast Hockey Association's Vancouver Millionaires in a best-of-five battle for the Stanley Cup.

In a do-or-die Game 5, St. Pat's forward Babe Dye made history.

Dye opened the scoring three minutes into the game. He scored again 80 seconds later. He completed the hat trick in the third period to give Toronto a 4-0 lead and then scored yet again seven minutes later to make it 5-0 in the eventual 5-1 St. Pat's win. 

Dye played 272 NHL games across 12 seasons, scoring 203 goals and 252 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970, eight years after his death.

Reinhart has 294 goals and 619 points across 775 regular-season games and 32 goals and 56 points in 76 playoff contests. This post-season, he finished with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 21 games.

The last player to score a hat trick in their team's Cup-winning game is Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, who accomplished the feat against the Panthers in Game 5 of the 2023 Cup final. He was the first to do it since Dye and the third to do it overall.

Jack Darragh of the original Ottawa Senators was the first player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his team's Cup-clinching match when they beat the Seattle Metropolitans in 1920.

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The Chicago Blackhawks made a big trade with the Florida Panthers on March 1st that sent Seth Jones to Sunrise in exchange for Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick. 

The 30-year-old defenseman didn’t get what he was promised in Chicago and eventually became disgruntled. By the mid-way point of the 2024-25 season, it became clear that the Blackhawks would move him if a team was willing to make a fair deal. The defending Stanley Cup champions did. 

When Jones got to Florida, he became “one of the guys” on defense instead of “the guy”. With other stars like Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling in the mix, it’s a lot easier to play your game to the best of your ability. 

Jones and Florida made it to the Stanley Cup Final. This is the third year in a row that Florida made it to the big dance, but it is the first time that Jones has been this far. 

On Tuesday night, Jones and the Panthers won the Stanley Cup. He went right from the struggling Blackhawks to a team that won the Cup in the same year. 

During his run to the ultimate prize, Jones had 9 points over the four rounds. There were big goals, plays made, and the defensive performance his team needed to shut down the opposition. 

Jones and the Panthers had to face stars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov, and Mikko Rantanen, amongst others. Without him on the back end, winning the Cup would have been that much more difficult for Florida. It turned out to be a great move. 

This was an overall incredible trade deadline for Bill Zito, Florida's GM. In addition to trading for Seth Jones, he also acquired Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. Throughout the playoffs, Marchand was one of Florida's best forwards. He would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy if Sam Bennett hadn't scored 15 goals during the postseason. 

Now that Jones' name will be engraved on the Cup, he will spend the entire summer celebrating. For going through what he has since coming to Chicago, he deserves it. He was always respectful and deserved the right to be happy with the way things turned out for him. 

The Blackhawks are happy knowing that they have an extra 2026 first-round pick in addition to Spencer Knight, who is a young, promising goalie. If he becomes an above-average starter in the long term, both teams are winners with this trade. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The 2025 Stanley Cup Champion has officially been crowned, as the Florida Panthers took down the Edmonton Oilers in six games. Florida took the Stanley Cup playoff series with a 5-1 win in Game 6. The same two teams previously met in the Stanley Cup Final the season before, with the 2024 series going to seven games rather than six. Two big pieces in the 2025 championship-winning Panthers team are Jonah Gadjovich and Nate Schmidt. Both players previously spent time with the Vancouver Canucks. 

Gadjovich was a 2017 second-round draft pick for the Canucks, going 55th overall. He stayed within the organization from then to 2021, after which he ended up on waivers and got claimed by the San Jose Sharks. In his lone season with Vancouver, he played 4:55 minutes in one game. Gadjovich won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers the season before, though he did not end up taking part in any of their playoff games. In his 15 postseason games in 2025, he scored two goals and an assist. 

Schmidt only spent one season with the Canucks, ending up in Vancouver after being traded by the Vegas Golden Knights due to a cap crunch. During his lone season as a Canuck, he had five goals and 10 assists in a COVID-19 shortened season in which he played in 54 games. After, he moved on to the Winnipeg Jets, spending three seasons with them and tallying 13 goals and 54 assists in 211 games. He joined Florida this season, dressing in 80 of their regular season games and putting up five goals and 14 assists. During the playoffs, he scored three goals and nine assists in 22 games. 

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Another member of the Panthers’ Cup-winning team is Canucks legend Roberto Luongo, who previously won the championship with Florida the year before. Luongo spent seven seasons with the Canucks and owns a majority of the team’s goaltending records. He was instrumental in Vancouver’s quest for the Stanley Cup back in 2011. 

With the Stanley Cup Finals now over, all eyes turn to Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, who are locked in a battle with the Abbotsford Canucks for the Calder Cup.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup last year, but the Conn Smythe Trophy went to an opponent. This time, they won both.

After Florida’s 5-1 victory in Game 6 to win the Cup in back-to-back seasons, the Conn Smythe Trophy went to center Sam Bennett.

The Conn Smythe is given "to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs."

"This is way harder than I thought it would be to win, and to win twice, I mean, we put in so much work," Bennett told Sportsnet's David Amber and Elliotte Friedman on the ice. "I'm so proud of this group. It's incredible the team we have here. I'm so proud of all the guys."

Last year, the Conn Smythe Trophy was awarded to Oilers captain Connor McDavid. However, after this final, the Conn Smythe was presented to a member of the Panthers for the first time in NHL history. 

Bennett was the leading goal-scorer of the Stanley Cup playoffs, recording 15 goals in 23 games played. In addition, 13 of those goals were on the road, which set a record in a single post-season.

The 28-year-old didn’t get on the scoresheet in Game 6, but he was all around the net in the final. In those six games, Bennett scored five goals and six points, equalling Brad Marchand for the second-most points by a Panther in the final series.

Bennett is a pending UFA, and there will be no shortage of interest or money to go his way, whether he returns to the Panthers or not.

He played his last game on a four-year contract with a $4.425-million cap hit. With 51 points this season, only seven pending UFAs had more points.

There were a couple of other candidates for Florida to win the Conn Smythe. Marchand was a clear candidate for the award for his incredible production and clutch ability. He would’ve been the oldest player to win the playoff MVP award.

Reinhart was another player who tossed his name in the hat for his play in Game 6. He scored four goals in the Panthers’ Cup-clinching victory, leading the Stanley Cup final in goals with seven and points with 10.

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With help from old friend Sergei Bobrovsky, all of the Philadelphia Flyers draft picks in the 2025 NHL Draft are now set in stone, including their three coveted first-round picks.

Bobrovsky, 36, backstopped the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup triumph, making 28 saves on 29 shots in a 5-1 thrashing of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6.

With the Oilers officially down and out, the Flyers will hold the 31st overall pick in the 2025 draft, improving one spot on the 2024 32nd overall pick (Sam O’Reilly) they swapped with Edmonton last year.

The Flyers, of course, also have the No. 6 overall pick, their own, and the No. 22 overall pick they acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in last year's Sean Walker trade in addition to the 31st pick.

In Round 2, the Flyers hold picks 36, 40, 45, and 48. Additionally, the Flyers hold the 68th, 132nd, 157th, and 164th picks.

Flyers GM Danny Briere revealed Tuesday that some of these picks could be traded to move up in the draft order or for other players teams are shopping around the league.

As of right now, nothing is imminent on that front, especially with multiple teams jockeying for draft positioning with 11 days to go.

The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions.

Again.

Just take a moment to let that sink in.

For the second straight season, the Panthers have won Lord Stanley’s Cup.

This time, Florida defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games, claiming the Cup in front of their home fans at Amerant Bank Arena.

That feels quite deserving for a fanbase that went so long with nothing to write home about.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Panthers were a perennial playoff miss, and a Stanley Cup? Fuhgeddaboudit.

At one point, they went 12 years between postseason appearances.

They went 26 seasons between playoff round victories.

All that feels like SO long ago though, doesn’t it?

Vincent Viola.

Matthew Caldwell.

Bill Zito.

Paul Maurice.

The list goes on from there.

It’s remarkable to think about how the Panthers have now joined a pretty exclusive club.

They’re back-to-back champions.

They’re set up to continue succeeding for years to come.

They’re on the path to becoming the NHL’s next great dynasty.

Soak it in, Panthers fans.

You’re Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions.

Again.

And they might not be done yet.

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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The Florida Panthers celebrate after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

For the second consecutive season, the Stanley Cup was won at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. 

While Florida Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Bennett were hit with a familiar feeling, four former New Jersey Devils players took in the excitement of a Stanley Cup championship for the first time. 

Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, and Vitek Vanecek swarmed their teammates in celebration after their 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. 

Greer found a home on the Panthers' fourth line, adding to Florida's already physical presence. The 28-year-old had three points in 16 postseason games. 

Greer's linemate, Nosek, finally captured his first Cup after 10 seasons in the NHL. The 32-year-old collected three points in 16 games this postseason.

Boqvist has not appeared in a game since June 6 but stepped up when he was called upon. He finished the playoffs with two goals and five points. 

Vanecek was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 5, 2025, and has served as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup since. Most noticeably, during warmups before Games 3 and 4, Vanecek and Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner appeared to be staring each other down from opposite sides of the red line. 

Former Devils defenseman Dmitry Kulikov won his second Stanley Cup as he was a member of the Panthers last season. 

Nosek and Vanecek will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Boqvist and Greer will remain under contract with the Panthers for the 2025-26 season. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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The Stanley Cup is back in South Florida.

For the second straight season, the Florida Panthers are the champions of the hockey world, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 to win the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final 4-2.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to get on the board, and it was an amazing play by Sam Reinhart that got the job done.

Picking the puck up just outside the Oilers blue line, Reinhart walked into the zone and dangled around Mattias Ekholm before firing the puck over the glove of Stuart Skinner to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 4:36 mark.

Florida doubled their lead late in the period off a great showing of patience.

Eetu Luostarinen brought the puck over Edmonton’s blue line on a 2 on 2 rush with Anton Lundell, but then Eetu slowed down and waited for a streaking Matthew Tkachuk, who had just come off Florida’s bench, while Lundell went to the net.

Tkachuk corralled the puck, skated between the circles and wired a shot past a screened Skinner to send Florida into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers did an excellent job of limiting the Oilers opportunities during the second period, long enough for them to extend their lead once again.

A rebound off the blocker of Skinner hit the ice and died in the left circle, where it was quickly picked up by Sasha Barkov,

The captain one-timed the puck toward the net, but instead of shooting to score, Barkov shot the puck off the skate of Reinhart for a perfect deflection into a wide-open net.

Florida spent the majority of the third period taking the Oilers to Shutdown City, limiting their zone time and opportunities despite them playing for their season.

To put a bow on the evening, Reinhart completed his hat trick by scoring into the vacated Oilers net with 6:34 to go, giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead and sealing the championship.

Then he popped in a fourth goal with 5:05 to go, just for good measure.

It was a very appropriate ending to the Panthers second straight title run.

Sure, Vasily Podkolzin scored to run Bob’s shutout in the final minutes, but that’s fine.

On to the parade!

QUICK THOUGHTS

Reinhart has scored in four straight games, racking up ten points during the goal streak.

Tkachuk has points in four straight and is up to seven points during the Final.

It’s a five-game point streak for Lundell, who has six points over the course of the run.

Luostarinen has three points over his past two games and six over his past four.

Barkov has logged five assists over his past three games.

Carter Verhaeghe finished the Final with nine points in the six games and a total of seven goals and 23 points during the playoffs.

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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)