The Florida Panthers Had a Long, Strange Road to the Stanley Cup

It has often been said that the Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy to capture in all sports.

As if the grind to the Stanley Cup was not grueling enough — there is a potential of playing 28 postseason games — the business side of hockey makes the accomplishment even more difficult.

Expansion has increased the number of contestants to 32; There were only six when I started to follow the game in another era.

Now, a hard salary cap and free agency are obstacles to the long-term growth of a team.

If a team is lucky, it may only get one or two shots at the Stanley Cup during a single era.

The Panthers finally won the Stanley Cup after losing in the 2023 Final.

Success in reaching the Final means players had outstanding seasons, and the team likely will not have the cap space to retain all its talent.

The Stanley Cup had been 31 years in the making for the Panthers, with one frustration after another before they achieved the elusive prize.

Given the team’s loss of talent, there may not be another season like the previous one for quite a few years.

As the new season approaches, let’s look back at the team’s lengthy path to the Stanley Cup.