Niko Mikkola: A Breakout Star of the Florida Panthers Playoffs

One of the first things Brad Marchand said when he joined the Florida Panthers was that he was glad he did not have to get hit by Niko Mikkola anymore.

Sam Bennett knows the feeling — even though the two have been teammates for two years now.

“I played against him one game at the 4 Nations,” Bennett said, “and I was like ‘I don’t want to play against this guy.’ I couldn’t imagine playing against him for an entire series.”

Mikkola is in his second season with the Panthers after being signed as a free agent from the New York Rangers.

At 6-5 and just over 200 pounds, the 29-year-old defenseman from Kiiminki, Finland, is having a breakout moment in these playoffs.

Although he only has a goal and two assists in this postseason, his impact has been felt in just about every way possible.

In Tuesday’s Game 1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Tomas Nosek sent a pass inside the rush to a Mikkola in full sprint down the ice.

Mikkola charged the net and then deftly sent a cross-ice pass to AJ Greer for a 3-1 lead.

It was a beautiful play for a player who is used to doing a lot of the dirtier work on the ice.

“I just play my game,’’ Mikkola said. “Every year, I have been trying to take the next step. And it’s been working pretty well.”

Mikkola, simply, has a game that is built for this time of year.

By being quick to close gaps, finish hits, and use his speed to track down plays before they become too dangerous, Mikkola has been one of Florida’s top defenders the past two postseasons.

“Playoff hockey is in my wheelhouse,” Mikkola said last year. “I like to play hard, I like to get hit, I like to give a hit. It’s been amazing.”

After Game 1, Paul Maurice and a few players were asked about Mikkola and what he brings to the Panthers.

Maurice revealed that he calls Mikkola ‘The Condor,’ joking that he is a “bird of prey” who is also a scavenger.

”He’s just a fun guy,” Maurice said. “Hyper-intense during the game. When he gets back to the bench, nobody knows what he’s saying. Even the Finnish guys have no idea what he’s saying. … one of the great personalities in our room and he’s found his place.”

He certainly has done that.

Mikkola seems to be the perfect fit for what the Panthers do.

“He is prototypical for our game and what we would like on our blue line,’’ Maurice said Friday before the Panthers left Raleigh. “And that is, make your read as fast as you can, and close as much ice as you can. … He is really built to play in our system.’’

Maurice explained that there are teams that give up ice defensively, and Mikkola played in such a system with the Blues and Rangers before signing with the Panthers as a free agent in 2023.

The Panthers, Maurice said, wanted to acquire Mikkola at the 2023 trade deadline, but he went to the Rangers in the Vladimir Tarasenko deal.

When Mikkola arrived with the Panthers, one thing they noticed was his elite speed.

“I don’t think we knew that he was that fast,’’ Maurice said. “He was a very hard-working, competitive guy, but I don’t know that he could get up the ice the way he does.

“The scouts are now saying ‘we knew it all along,’ and they deserve all the credit for that pickup. But his game has developed. We play a pretty simple game and he has a very strong hockey IQ.’’

2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: GAME 3

CAROLINA HURRICANES @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

Panthers lead Best-of-7 Series 2-0

• When: Saturday, 8 p.m. 
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• National TV: TNT/truTV
• National Streaming: Max
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule (all games on TNT/tru, 8 p.m.) — Game 1: Florida 5, Carolina 2; Game 2: Florida 5, Carolina 0; Game 3: Saturday @Florida; Game 4: Monday @Florida; Game 5*: Wednesday @Carolina; Game 6*: Friday, May 30 @Florida; Game 7*: Sunday, June 1 @Carolina
• Regular Season: Panthers Won 2-1
• How They Got Here: Carolina d. New Jersey (5), Washington (5); Florida d. Tampa Bay (5), Toronto (7).
• All-Time Regular Season Series: Carolina/Hartford leads 74-49-10, 11 ties
• Postseason History: Florida 1-0 (2023 ECF in 4)