Aleksander Barkov placed his hands at opposite ends of the Stanley Cup and skated away to kick off the celebration that the Florida Panthers have longed for.
As he lifted hockey’s coveted trophy for the first time, he had a singular thought.
“It’s heavy,” he remarked.
A 37-pound Cup posed no challenge for him. A three-game losing streak did not deter the Panthers. There was no falter with the Cup, no breakdown when it mattered. The Panthers emerged as champions for the first time, following a grueling journey to the title.
Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe netted goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves, and the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. This marked Florida’s third appearance in the title round in their 30-year history; they were swept in 1996 by Colorado and fell 4-1 to Vegas last season. However, that defeat last year laid the groundwork for this victory.
“You have to experience it first,” forward Matthew Tkachuk stated, “to understand what it takes to succeed.”
This time, they emerged triumphant, evading what could have been a historic collapse. After winning the initial three games of the series, they dropped the next three and required a win on Monday to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only team to lose the final after seizing a 3-0 lead in the title round.
“It’s beyond what I imagined,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice expressed. “It’s so much sweeter.”
It wasn’t a smooth ride. Not by any means. But it was accomplished.
Barkov passed the Cup to Bobrovsky and the festivities ensued. It wasn’t until the final moments that the Panthers denied Connor McDavid his first title, and Edmonton what would have been its first Cup since 1990.
“You strive to become a genuine champion and you strive to win,” stated Bobrovsky, attaining his first championship at 35. “But ultimately, you do it for the love of the game.”
McDavid secured the Conn Smythe as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He did not emerge for the trophy presentation, as it wasn’t the one he sought. The Cup is the ultimate goal, and it was Florida that raised it.
“No player in the world desires the Stanley Cup more than him,” remarked Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl about McDavid, who had an exceptional postseason with 42 points. “He does everything impeccably, every single day.”
However, the Panthers outshined on Monday. That made the difference.
“It’s no longer a dream. It’s a reality,” stated Tkachuk, who was traded to Florida two years ago with this exact ambition. “I can’t fathom it. I can’t believe it… I can’t believe how extraordinary these past two years have been. Immensely grateful for this group of guys. It’s the best place, best guys. There’s something truly special here with what we’ve established.”
Mattias Janmark tallied the goal for Edmonton, and Stuart Skinner turned away 19 shots for the Oilers. Edmonton also failed to halt Canada’s Cup drought, which has persisted since 1993.
South Florida now boasts championships from all four major professional sports leagues in the U.S. The Miami Dolphins secured two titles, the former Florida Marlins clinched two championships, the Miami Heat tallied three titles, and now the Panthers have joined the elite group.
Welcome, Stanley. The Panthers have been longing for this moment. Maurice lifted the Cup by the bench, closed his eyes tightly to contain his emotions, and let out a roar. General manager Bill Zito didn’t bother concealing his jubilation. In the stands, Tkachuk’s family reveled in the victory, knowing their surname will soon grace Lord Stanley.
“This is for them,” Tkachuk declared.
Bobrovsky remained composed, even in the most crucial moments. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had a prime chance from the right circle with around 14 seconds remaining in the second period; Bobrovsky thwarted the shot, repelling the puck into the air.
No issue. Bobrovsky utilized his stick to fend off the puck once more, akin to a casual park game rather than a pivotal moment in the biggest game of his life — essentially, the final line of defense against the Oilers and against an undesirable piece of history that the Panthers strongly opposed.
Florida led the title series 3-0, only to be outscored 18-5 in Games 4, 5, and 6, squandering three opportunities to seize the Cup. Edmonton was one win away from being the second team in NHL history to claim the Cup after dropping the first three games; Toronto achieved this against Detroit in 1942, and no team has accomplished such a comeback since.
Edmonton came close. Very close.
“They should be proud,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged. “There’s a lot to be proud of.”
The Panthers enlisted seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette, who hails from Canada and acquired U.S. citizenship in 2005, to perform the national anthems. Her voice was overshadowed by both Oilers and Panthers fans during the anthems. Panthers legend Roberto Luongo then drummed the ceremonial bass drum, rousing the fans with an emphatic cheer.
“We have an exceptional team,” Luongo conveyed, whose number is retired by the Panthers and is part of the team’s front office. “And the players really dug deep.”
The pregame atmosphere was electrifying. The stage was set.
And the teams burst onto the ice with fervor.
The Panthers struck first just 4:27 into the game when Verhaeghe deflected a shot from Evan Rodrigues on the left side, propelling it past Skinner for a 1-0 lead — marking Florida’s first lead since the conclusion of Game 3.
After waiting over a week to regain the lead, they maintained it for a little over two minutes.
Janmark eluded the Florida defense and beat Bobrovsky over the right shoulder at 6:44, leveling the score and guaranteeing that this Game 7 of the final wouldn’t conclude with a single goal, as none of the previous 17 such games ended 1-0.
The score remained unchanged despite turbulent shifts — with the Oilers dominating extended periods and the Panthers retaliating, back and forth — until Reinhart scored late in the second period to elevate Florida to a 2-1 advantage. It capped off a chaotic sequence where Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov ended up in the net to thwart an Edmonton goal moments before Reinhart outplayed Skinner. The goal marked Reinhart’s 67th of the season, extending his Florida single-season record, and it was up to the Panthers to preserve the lead.
“The resolve was evident,” Maurice emphasized.
Florida boasted an impeccable record of 44-0-3 this season when leading after two periods, an unmatched 85-2-6 record in such situations in the two seasons under coach Maurice.
They locked down the victory, one final time. And the Cup became their prize.
“This is the greatest moment of my life thus far,” expressed seasoned Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. “Nothing surpasses this.”
