Florida Panthers sign Canadian singer Michael Buble
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The program is the brainchild of Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito and his wife Julie Zito.
''Panthers on the Prowl' is a creative and really cool and uplifting way to demonstrate and show our support for those people that are suffering, so we can generate the much-needed funding to keep this fight going,' Buble said. 'Cancer touches all of us, my family, friends, yours, neighbors, everyone. I joined my buddy Bill Zito and the Florida Panthers and all of our NHL hockey community because I want to be part of the solution.'
The program formally launched in March and has been backed by famed artist Romero Britto along with NFL players — and South Florida natives — Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa, among others.
Mitch Marner's three-word response to Leafs loss against Panthers
Julie Zito is a cancer survivor, Bill Zito lost his mother and sister to cancer, and the Zito family recently lost a close friend to cancer as well. The couple got the inspiration for the artwork element of the initiative from the Cows on Parade public art project in Chicago; donors to the Panthers' project can decorate their panther statuette in any way they'd like.
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Winnipeg Free Press
20 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Marchand, Bennett too hot for Oilers to handle in Game 5 of Stanley Cup final
EDMONTON – Driving the Florida Panthers attack in the playoffs is a player in his NHL prime and another acting like he is. Sam Bennett, 28, and Brad Marchand, 37, continued to be a lot for the Oilers to handle in the Stanley Cup final in Florida's 5-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Marchand scored twice Saturday — Florida's first and third goals — to reach half a dozen goals in the Cup final. Florida's second goal of the game was Bennett's fifth of the Cup final and his NHL-leading 15th of the post-season. The Panthers can close out the series at home Tuesday and become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champions since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. A new ingredient for the Panthers this post-season, however, is the five-foot-nine, 180-pound Marchand, who Florida acquired at the trade deadline after his almost 16 years with the Boston Bruins. Marchand's six goals was the most by any player in the championship series since Esa Tikkanen in 1988. Marchand, from Halifax, seeks the second Stanley Cup of his career after lifting the trophy with the Boston Bruins in 2011 at the age of 23. He reached another two Cup finals with Boston before he was dealt to Florida this winter. When asked what the 2011 edition of Brad Marchand would say to his 2025 version, he replied 'man, that guy's good looking.' 'Sometimes you get bounces, sometimes you don't but definitely you'd be grateful to be in this opportunity and have another opportunity to be in the finals and be part of a really good team for sure,' Marchand continued. Bennett, from Holland Landing, Ont., pushed his road goal streak to six straight games when he wired a rebound past Edmonton's Calvin Pickard to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead in the first period. A front-runner for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy that goes to the NHL's playoff MVP, Bennett ranks second in post-season in hits (103) to Edmonton's Zach Hyman (111). 'We've talked about it so much,' said Bennett's teammate Sam Reinhart. 'It's just his game translates so well to this time of year. He creates so much room for himself.' Marchand and Bennett each with five, or more, goals apiece in the Cup final are the first teammates to do so since Montreal's Frank Mahovlich and Yvan Cournoyer in 1973. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'They're just certainly capable of processing the context of the game,' Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. 'They don't get too high, they don't go too low. Their energy level is high, and they're very focused on the game. 'There's a mental toughness there, a mental capacity to stay within the game and not try to break it open. Just wait. Patience.' The ageless Marchand scored both his goals off draws that Edmonton won, but he got to the puck first and beat Oilers to the net to score twice. 'What he can do under duress in a small area is world class,' Maurice said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Oilers a step behind focused Panthers in Stanley Cup Game 5
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Stanley Cup live updates: Panthers take Game 5
Florida Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen (27) trips over Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup final, in Edmonton, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Final score: Panthers 5 Oilers 2 Corey Perry scored his 10th goal of the playoffs with 3:13 left in the third period and the Oilers pulled goalie Calvin Pickard about a minute later, but the spark from Perry's goal wasn't enough. Eetu Leostarinen adds an empty net-goal for Florida with 1:19 left to snuff the Edmonton push. 8:25 p.m. - Reinhart takes wind out of Oil sails Sam Reinhart makes the score 4-1 Panthers after taking a pass from Aleksander Barkov, shooting the puck past Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard with traffic in front of the goal 8:10 into the third period, less than a minuite after Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton. 8:21 p.m. - McDavid gets Oilers on scoreboard 3-1 Panthers. Connor McDavid takes a pass from defenceman Evan Bouchard and has all kinds of time to quickly stickhandle his way toward the Panthers net, shooting the puck past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for the Oilers' first goal of the game 7:24 into the third period. The goal comes just over two minutes after Brad Marchand scored his second of the game for the Panthers. 8:18 p.m. - Marchand scores 2nd of game 3-0 Panthers. Panthers forward Brad Marchand scores his second goal of the game 5:12 into the third period in much the same fashion as his first: while being tailed and checked closely by a clutch of Oilers. He deposits the puck past Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard's outstretched left pad to add to Florida's lead. Oilers vs. Panthers Florida Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen (27) trips over Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup final, in Edmonton, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS) 7:55 p.m. - 2nd intermission thoughts 2-0 Panthers lead after 40 minutes lead after 40 minutes The second period kind of felt like a copy of the first but with no scoring; They have the lead after two and the Panthers are locking the Oilers down with their forecheck; The Oilers came out of the 1st intermission with jump, but while they managed eight shots in the second period, few threatened or challenged Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky; The Panthers managed just one shot on net through the first half of the second but picked up momentum as the frame continued and managed three more; Florida still won the scoring chances battle in the middle frame, with five to the Oilers' 3 as well as in the high-danger chances department 3-1. 7:51 p.m. - Draisaitl high-sticks Kulikov Oilers star Leon Draisaitl gets his stick up on Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov with 20 seconds left in the second period and is called for high-sticking. 7:27 p.m. - Delay of game Panthers forward Sam Reinhart's clearing attempt goes awry and into the Rogers Place seats 7:28 into the second period. He gets a two-minute penalty for delay of game. 7:21 p.m. - Ekblad trips Kane Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad takes a two-minute penalty 3:17 into the second period for tripping Oilers forward Evander Kane with Kane trying to find someone to pass to in the slot. 7:05 p.m. - 1st intermission thoughts Score after 20 minutes: 2-0 Panthers ; ; Florida owned the first period, with eight shots and 11 scoring chances, five of them of the high-danger variety. The Oilers? Just three shots and five scoring chances, one of them high-danger; The Panthers grabbed momentum in the latter half of the period and, obviously, capitalized on their chances; The Oilers got a jump early and had chances of their own, but goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was good through the first. 6:53 p.m. - Bennett makes it 2-0 2-0 Panthers. Sam Bennett scores his 15th goal of this year's playoffs with 1:54 left in the first period after grabbing a puck deflected off Oilers defenceman Jake Walman on a shot by Matthew Tkachuk. 6:48 p.m. - Jones take game's 1st penalty Panthers defenceman Seth Jones is called for interference after steering Oilers centre Mattias Janmark away from the Florida goal with 4:18 left in the first period. 6:37 p.m. - Marchand opens scoring 1-0 Panthers. With three Oilers on his tail, Panthers forward Brad Marchand gets the game's first goal 9:12 into the first period right after a neutral zone faceoff. He fires the puck into the top corner of the net on Pickard's trapper side. 6:24 p.m. - McDavid excitement Connor Brown springs Connor McDavid with a pass from the defensive zone for a two-on-one with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with McDavid getting a shot off that bounced to the side of the net, where he quickly recovered the puck and tried to tuck it by Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to no avail. 6:21 p.m. - Early Brown breakaway Oilers forward Connor Brown gets an early breakaway scoring chance but Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky gets his trapper on it. Rogers Place Edmonton Oilers players take the ice at Rogers Place for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on June 14, 2025. (Craig Ellingson/CTV News Edmonton) 6:09 p.m. - It's loud in here There's no decibel meter at my fingertips, but the Rogers Place crowd is the loudest I've heard it yet this season (and maybe even last season. Heck, 2017 was loud, but this...) Game 5 warmup Edmonton Oilers players take the ice for warmup before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on June 14, 2025, at Edmonton's Rogers Place. (Craig Ellingson/CTV News Edmonton) 5:38 p.m. - Warmup starts The stands at Rogers Place are half full for warmup about a half-hour before the puck is dropped to start the game Oilers and Panthers players go through their routines. Oilers fans Fans line up to watch the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS) 5:30 p.m. - Pickard starting in goal for Oilers Calvin Pickard was named the Oilers' starting goalie for Game 5 Saturday night by head coach Kris Knoblauch after the morning skate. Pickard came into Game 4 to start the second period in relief of Stuart Skinner with the Oilers down 3-0. Edmonton beat Florida 5-4 in overtime. Heading in The streets outside Rogers Place are teaming with fans, cars, trucks, signs – you name it – decked out in all manner of blue and orange. It's Saturday night. Downtown Edmonton. The Oilers are hosting the visiting Florida Panthers. Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. It's a hotly anticipated match with the series tied at two games apiece, the last game having gone to overtime two nights ago with the Oilers winning it. Follow along as I keep you up to speed on what's going on in and around the arena.
