It finally happened. After thirty years of waiting, sweating through Florida summers, and coming so close it hurt just twelve months prior, the Florida Panthers are the ones who won NHL Stanley Cup 2024. But honestly? The way they did it was a total heart-attack-inducing rollercoaster that nearly saw them on the wrong side of the most embarrassing collapse in modern sports history.
You remember how it started, right? Florida came out swinging. They looked untouchable. They took a 3-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers, and everyone—literally everyone—was ready to call it a sweep. Then, the wheels didn't just come off; they exploded. Edmonton roared back, winning three straight games to force a Game 7. It was the first time since 1945 that a team down 3-0 forced a deciding game in the Final. For a few days there in late June, it felt like the Panthers were destined to become a trivia answer for all the wrong reasons.
The Night the Cats Finally Caught the Mouse
Game 7 was played on June 24, 2024, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. The tension was so thick you could probably cut it with a skate blade. Florida eventually pulled off a 2-1 victory, but it wasn't easy.
Carter Verhaeghe got things moving early with a deflection, but Edmonton’s Mattias Janmark tied it up almost immediately. The game stayed locked in a 1-1 stalemate until late in the second period when Sam Reinhart—the guy who had 57 goals in the regular season—buried a wrist shot on the rush. That was it. That was the goal that sealed the deal.
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Sergei Bobrovsky, who is basically a wall when he’s "on," stood tall in the third period. He’s 35 years old, which is basically ancient for a goalie, yet he became one of the oldest netminders to ever clinch a Cup. He faced a literal firing squad of Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman in the final minutes. The Oilers outshot Florida, they out-chanced them, and they spent the last two minutes with an empty net and an extra attacker, but they couldn't break through.
Why this win was actually historic
- First Timers: This was the first Stanley Cup in Florida Panthers franchise history.
- The 1945 Echo: They became only the second team ever to win a Game 7 after blowing a 3-0 series lead.
- Back-to-Back Finals: They lost to Vegas in 2023, making them the first team since the 2009 Penguins to win it all the year after losing in the Finals.
The McDavid Factor: A MVP in a Losing Locker Room
Here is the part that still feels weird to talk about. Even though Florida won the Cup, they didn't have the "best" player on the ice. That was Connor McDavid.
McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. Think about how insane that is. He lost the series, but he was so dominant—racking up 42 points in 25 games—that the voters couldn't give it to anyone else. He broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for most assists in a single postseason (34).
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But if you watched the trophy presentation, you noticed something. McDavid didn't come out to get it. He stayed in the locker room with his teammates. He basically pulled a "if we don't win as a team, I'm not celebrating as an individual." It sparked a ton of debate. Some fans called it poor sportsmanship; others said it was the ultimate sign of a captain who only cared about the team trophy. Honestly, after losing a Game 7 by one goal, who can blame the guy for not wanting to pose for a photo with a consolation prize?
How Florida Actually Built a Champion
General Manager Bill Zito is the architect here. He didn't just build a team; he built a bunch of "rats" (and I mean that as a compliment). They play a heavy, suffocating style that makes life miserable for superstars.
The core wasn't just drafted; it was traded for. They moved franchise staple Jonathan Huberdeau for Matthew Tkachuk a couple of years ago, a move that looked risky at the time but now looks like a masterstroke. Tkachuk brought an edge to Florida that they simply didn't have before. Then you have Aleksander Barkov, the first Finnish-born captain to lift the Cup. He spent the entire series glued to McDavid's hip, proving why he’s considered the best defensive forward in the world.
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Key Contributors in the Final
- Sam Reinhart: Scored the Game 7 winner and led the team in goals all year.
- Sergei Bobrovsky: Had a .906 save percentage throughout the playoffs and a legendary Game 1 shutout.
- Evan Rodrigues: A depth signing who turned into a playoff hero with huge goals in Games 1 and 2.
- Gustav Forsling: The waiver-wire pickup who turned into a top-pair defenseman.
What Happens Next for the Panthers and Oilers?
If you're a hockey fan, you know the "Cup Hangover" is real. Florida spent the summer of 2024 parading through Fort Lauderdale and probably losing a few teeth in the process. But the NHL moves fast. By the time 2026 rolls around, the landscape of the league usually shifts.
For the Oilers, 2024 was a "so close, yet so far" moment that usually defines a generation. They proved they could handle the pressure of an elimination game, but they also showed that even a god-tier performance from McDavid isn't always enough to overcome a team as deep as Florida.
Practical takeaways for the next season:
- Watch the Cap: Florida had to make tough decisions on free agents like Brandon Montour and Sam Reinhart (who eventually re-signed). Keeping a championship core together is harder than winning the first time.
- Edmonton’s Window: The Oilers aren't going anywhere. As long as McDavid and Draisaitl are healthy, they are the favorites coming out of the West.
- Goaltending Matters: If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that a hot goalie (Bobrovsky) can survive a cold streak as long as he shows up for the final twenty minutes of the season.
If you’re looking to track how these teams are doing today, check the current NHL standings or look into the latest trade deadline moves. The 2024 win was a legacy-definer for the Panthers, but in hockey, you're only as good as your last shift.