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September 18, 2025
Florida panthers

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers began a new season Wednesday morning, officially reporting to training camp just three months after winning the Stanley Cup for a second straight year.

Although it was not the main topic of conversation, talk of a three-peat is not something the Panthers are ignoring, nor running away from.

When the Panthers opened training camp last season, they talked about trying to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Lo and behold…

“We talked about trying to do it again,” Aaron Ekblad said on Wednesday.

“So, I don’t think there’s any reason to shy away from it. That’s our goal, and we’re going to fight for that goal every day. I think it’s better to talk about it than be anxious about it, hide what we’re trying to do. We’re going to go and get after it.”


No team has won the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders won it four straight years from 1980-83.

Going down in history as “one of the great teams,” Ekblad said, is something that is important to the Panthers.

“One of the big things is you have a massive target on your back,’’ said Brad Marchand, who won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

“And it’s not just because of last year, but the past few years. Every team knows we’re a legit contender again, and we’re very deep. So, we’re going to get every team’s best every single night. You can’t take nights off thinking it’s going to be easy. This is a very unique situation.”

The Panthers were not very active when free agency opened on July 1 — because they did not need to be.

Prior to free agency, the Panthers signed all three of their high-profile free agents: Sam Bennett and Ekblad each signed for eight years; Marchand signed on for six.

The team’s championship window, even after winning the Stanley Cup twice, appears to be wide open.

“We are so appreciative for everything we’ve been able to experience over the past few years,” general manager Bill Zito said.

“And we have to get better. There are so many things we can improve on. … We’re not pounding our chests at all. It’s a new season. It’s Day 1. This is its own distinct and unique journey.”

Although Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek are going to miss the start of the season due to offseason surgeries, the Panthers come into this new season basically intact.

Newcomers include defenseman Jeff Petry, forward Luke Kunin, and backup goalie Daniil Tarasov.

So, there were not many introductions that needed to be made.

“It feels like last season just continued,” captain Sasha Barkov said. “Almost everyone is back, and that’s a great part of it. I don’t think it’s ever been like that in my time here; there has always been some kind of change, five or six players leaving.

“It’s great. You walk into the room and everyone is there, the same faces. But there are a couple of new faces, but this makes it easier on them. They fit in, and it feels like they have been with us for a long time already.’’

Coach Paul Maurice, almost immediately after the Panthers won Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final 5-1 against the Edmonton Oilers, said he would make changes to how training camp would be run.

With Florida playing 314 games over the past three seasons — with trips to the Stanley Cup Final in each of them — Maurice said he needs to manage how his team prepares not only for the regular season, but the challenges of another playoff run.

When the Panthers hit the ice for the first practices on Thursday afternoon, many of their regulars will not be taking part.

Maurice and Zito say that Florida’s veteran players will stay off the ice for the start of training camp, focusing on off-ice conditioning they may otherwise miss out on during the first few days of camp.

“We still have to come in, we still have to do that stupid bike test,” Barkov joked about the grueling VO2 testing the Panthers put their players through.

“No, it’s great. We get to work on the things we perhaps do not get to work on during the season. And that’s an extra week of doing that. We have been skating, have been skating together for a while already. It just feels like we’re going to continue doing that.’’

Florida has 72 players on its training camp roster including seven goalies.

There will be plenty of other players for Maurice and his coaching staff to work with.

“We’re trying to get better,” Zito said. “We’re trying to improve.”

2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025

FLORIDA PANTHERS

TRAINING CAMP ON DECK
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