Sam Bennett Wins Conn Smythe for Stanley Cup Champ Panthers

SUNRISE — Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett became the franchise’s first-ever Conn Smythe Trophy winner following a 501 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night.

Bennett scored 15 goals with 22 points for the Panthers during this run to a second straight Stanley Cup championship.

Sam Reinhart scored four goals in Tuesday’s win — giving him seven in the Final.

Of those goals, 13 came in road games which is most in NHL history.

Bennett scored five times in the Stanley Cup Final.

Last year, the Conn Smythe went to Edmonton center Connor McDavid after he not only helped lead the Oilers back from a 3-0 deficit to the Panthers in the Final, but put up huge numbers in the playoffs with eight goals and 42 points.

Only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux had more in one postseason.

McDavid was only the sixth player on the losing team in the Final to win the Conn Smythe — which goes to the MVP of the entire postseason, not just the Final round — and the first non-goalie to do it 48 years.

The Panthers are the first back-to-back winner of the Stanley Cup since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it in 2020-21 — but the first in non-shortened seasons since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17.

Since the 1967-expansion era, only 11 teams (eight franchises) have won the Cup in back-t0-back years.

A team from Florida has won the Cup in four of the past six years — and has played in the Final in each of those six years.

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)