Panthers Celebrate Double Victory and Open New Era with NHL Win

The Panthers Celebrate a New Stanley Cup Title and Look to the Future

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers begin a new season with their sights set on a clear goal: the conquest of a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. The celebration for the most recent title is already underway, with some minor details on the trophy, which will be repaired soon. On Tuesday, the team kicked off the 2024-25 season with the raising of a new banner at the Amerant Bank Arena. The design is similar to that of the previous year, with a white background and red letters, but with the year 2025 instead of 2024.

This is a new year and a new opportunity for us.

Brad Marchand, Panthers forward

The new banner will be placed alongside the team’s other division and conference titles. Fans had the opportunity to take photos with the Cup outside the stadium, and inside the venue, highlights from the sixth game of last season’s final were shown. Aaron Ekblad, assistant captain, was in charge of bringing the trophy to the ice and lifting it. “Incredible, to come out in front of our fans and be able to lift it one more time,” expressed Ekblad.

We want three! We want three! We want three!

Shouts from the fans

The night before, the players and coaches received their championship rings in a private ceremony. Coach Paul Maurice highlighted the importance of this moment to motivate the team. However, the road will not be easy for the Panthers this season. Captain Aleksander Barkov will be out for several months, and could even miss the entire season, due to a knee ligament injury. Matthew Tkachuk will also be out until December, recovering from surgery. Both players watched the ceremony from the bench.

It’s a celebration, but at the same time, it’s a turning of the page. It’s a new chapter.

Seth Jones, Panthers defenseman

The Panthers are seeking a historic milestone; they could become the first team to win three consecutive championships since the New York Islanders in the 1980s. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman commented on the upcoming season: “This is going to be an interesting story. Two of the team’s biggest stars are injured. We’ll see how well they come back, how resilient the team is without them.”