2025 Stanley Cup Champions

Jeff Petry: Florida Panthers an ‘Exciting Group to Join’

Published

2 weeks ago

July 3, 2025

Jeff Petry said it was not a tough decision to sign on with the Florida Panthers when they came calling Tuesday on the first day of free agency.

The 37-year-old defenseman has been trying to win the Stanley Cup his entire career and hopes to finally get there with the two-time defending champions.

Petry has only been to the playoffs four times in his 15 NHL seasons — all with the Canadiens.

Montreal made an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2021 Covid season, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“That was also an important part of my decision, wanting to be in the playoffs, wanting to compete for a Stanley Cup again,’’ Petry told the media during a Zoom session on Thursday morning.

“And you know that feeling of being really close in Montreal, and then losing in the Final, that was a tough feeling. I always said before my career is over, I want to be able to be in that position again, and be on a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup. And I think coming to Florida gives me a very good opportunity to do that.’’

The Panthers will not have many new players on their team next season after keeping their three biggest pending free agents in Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand.

Only Petry and backup goalie Daniil Tarasov are expected to be the only newcomers on the 2025-26 Panthers.

Petry said seeing Florida’s Big 3 stay with the Panthers, and seeing how close this team is, played a role in his deciding to head south.

“It’s an exciting, exciting place to play,’’ Petry said. “You see what they’ve accomplished over the last few years. When I got the call that there was an interest in me coming there, I saw Bennett and Ekblad and Marchant resigning.

“When they called, it was a no brainer. You hear about the group, what they do together on the ice, off the ice. You hear so many good things about it, and like I said, when they had interest, it was a no brainer for me.

They want you to come in and be the player you are, be the person you are, and not try to do something that isn’t within your characteristics.’’

Marchand, at the Cup celebration last month, said he was glad he didn’t have to play the Panthers anymore.

Petry has seen the Panthers a lot over the years having played in the Atlantic Division since being traded to the Canadiens in 2015.

He has seen the Panthers go from being a team with some talent but not all the right pieces to a juggernaut.

Now he gets to be a part of it.

“I’m going to mirror what [Marchand] said: I’m glad to not have to face these guys,’’ Petry said.

“You look at the structure their game; a talented group up front that can score goals. But it’s not every team that your skill players have the grit and the physicality of the group that we have here. It’s always been a hard team to play against. I think the structure and the talent, but the work ethic these guys have is what’s driven them over the top and put them in the position that they are in.’’