Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Not long ago, the Florida Panthers were hockey's favorite punchline, and now they're the standard.
For years, empty seats and early exits defined the franchise. Between 1997 and 2019, Florida made the playoffs just three times and waited 25 seasons to win a single postseason round. Relocation rumors followed, and few pushed back.
That version of the Panthers is gone. Completely.
Back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 didn't just silence critics, they rewrote Florida's place in the NHL. What once felt improbable now feels earned, the product of smart risk, culture, and belief.
Just as Florida looked ready to cement itself as the East's heavyweight, adversity arrived. Matthew Tkachuk went down while playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, creating uncertainty and flattening momentum.
The silver lining changed everything.
With Tkachuk sidelined, cap space opened at the deadline, and Bill Zito struck. Seth Jones arrived from Chicago. Brad Marchand followed from Boston. Both moves stunned the league, and both were questioned immediately.
Jones had struggled in Chicago's chaos. Marchand was 37. Florida trusted fit over narrative, and it paid off.
Florida thrives when doubt creeps in
Skepticism followed into the playoffs. Tampa Bay waited in Round 1, and Florida was cast as vulnerable. Instead, the Panthers rolled, dropping just one game while Tkachuk gutted through injury. Marchand clicked instantly alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. Jones anchored the blue line.
Toronto pushed harder. After falling behind early in the series, Florida flipped the script, capped by Marchand's overtime winner in Game 3. Game 7 in Toronto was no contest. The Panthers dominated 6-1, ending another tortured season for the Leafs.
Carolina offered little resistance in the Eastern Conference Final. Florida closed it in five games, calm and ruthless.
The Stanley Cup Final rematch with Edmonton brought drama early, then control. Florida outscored the Oilers 20-9 over the final stretch, closing with a 5-1 win in Game 6. Sam Reinhart scored four goals that night, sealing history.
The Panthers didn't just build a winner. They built something lasting.
And no one is laughing anymore.