Did It Again: Florida Panthers Repeat as Stanley Cup Champions

SUNRISE — The Panthers are keeping the Stanley Cup in South Florida for an extended stay after winning their second consecutive championship on Tuesday night.

Florida won the final two games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, including 5-1 in a dominant Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

The Panthers beat the Oilers in 7 games last year for the franchise’s first-ever championship.

Sam Bennett was named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP — the first Florida player to ever win it. Brad Marchand finished a close second in the voting, with Sergei Bobrovsky placing third.

After accepting the Stanley Cup, captain Sasha Barkov handed the Cup to Nate Schmidt who won it for the first time. Seth Jones, also a first-time champion, was next in line followed by Tomas Nosek.

This time around, the Panthers ended up setting an NHL record for leading in a single Stanley Cup playoff series at 255:49.

The 1987 Oilers held the record after leading Philadelphia for 250:04 in a 7-game series.

“You look to all the bad days, long trips, all the stuff, this just makes it all worth it,’’ Matthew Tkachuk said. “Lifting that Cup, it’s just insane. I don’t know what to tell you guys. It’s just the most special thing. Coming down here to Florida changed my life forever. Three finals, two championships, this is more than why you play the game. This is what makes it all worth it and it’s so special.’’

Tuesday night, the sold-out, standing-room-only crowd in Sunrise was whipped into a frenzy when Roberto Luongo beat the pregame bass drum like it owed him money.

Then came the start of the game.

Sam Reinhart, who scored the game-winner in Game 7 last year, gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 4:36 of the first by picking off the puck and driving in on Stuart Skinner.

It was Reinhart’s fourth straight game in these Finals with a goal.

He also ended the night with a the first hat trick in Florida playoff history.

Well, the first four-goal night in Panthers playoff history.

Tkachuk made it 2-0 by throwing a shot in from the high slot that may or may not have grazed Anton Lundell on its way past Skinner.

Reinhart got his second of the night at 17:31 of the second on a sweet feed from Sasha Barkov that got his skate as he crashed the net. It was his ninth goal of the playoffs and fifth goal of the series.

The Panthers became the first team since the 1955 Detroit Red Wings with three players — Reinhart, Bennett, and Marchand — to have three players with five goals or more in a Final series.

Reinhart got his third goal into an empty net with 6:34 left; his fourth went into the empty net with 5:05 remaining.

Through it all, the Panthers absolutely dominated and dumbfounded an Edmonton team that could not find its footing nor get anything going offensively.

The Panthers, again, played an almost perfect game.

Bobrovsky was again a wall in net for the Panthers, stopping 10 shots in the first period and 28 overall.

Edmonton didn’t get its goal until there was 4:42 remaining.

The Panthers join the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins and 2012-13 Miami Heat as the only back-to-back champions in South Florida professional sports history.

CUP FINAL GAME 6: OILERS / PANTHERS

• Reinhart was trying to become the first player in NHL history to score multiple Stanley Cup-clinching goals against the same opponent — and would have been the ninth player in NHL history with multiple Stanley Cup-clinching goals in his career and the third to do so in consecutive years. Instead, it goes to Tkachuk.
• The Panthers are 11-0 all-time when scoring first in a potential clinching game (7-0 at home).
• The Panthers became the seventh team in NHL history to score 94 goals in a single postseason and first since the 1991 Penguins (95).
• *All numbers courtesy NHL Stats

GAME 6 SCORING: OILERS / PANTHERS

• Florida 1, Edmonton 0 (4:36 1st): Sam Reinhart picks the pocket of Evan Bouchard at the blue line and drives in on Stuart Skinner beating him with a backhanded shot while flying to the ice. It was Reinhart’s fourth straight Finals game with a goal and came on Florida’s first SOG.
• Florida 2, Edmonton 0 (19:13 1st): Another Bouchard turnover leads to Matthew Tkachuk getting the puck in the high slot. His shot into traffic appears to clip Anton Lundell who was posted up in front.
• Florida 3, Edmonton 0 (17:31 2nd): Skinner blocks a Carter Verhaeghe shot high but the puck lands on Sasha Barkov’s stick in the left circle and he puts it in off the skate of Reinhart.
• Florida 4, Edmonton 0 (13:26 3rd EN): Throw some hats on the ice for Reinhart, would ya?
• Florida 5, Edmonton 0 (14:55 3rd EN): Reinhart X4.
• Florida 5, Edmonton 1 (15:18 3rd): Vasily Podkolzin gets the Oilers on the board. Too little, way too late.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF GAME 6

• 1. Sam Reinhart, Florida
• 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
• 3. Sasha Barkov, Florida

2025 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

FLORIDA PANTHERS

UP NEXT

• 2025 Stanley Cup Championship Parade/Rally: Sunday, Fort Lauderdale Beach; Time TBA
• 2025 NHL Draft: June 27-28, Los Angeles (Panthers have six picks in Rounds 4-7)
• Start of NHL Free Agency: July 1
• Panthers Development Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early July
• Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
• Prospect Showcase hosted by Tampa Bay Lightning: Early September
• Training Camp: Mid-September
• Exhibition Games: Late September
• Opening Night: Oct 7-9 (opponent, time, date TBA)