Latest news with #AleksanderBarkov
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Panthers won Stanley Cup, but Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov just etched even more prestigious NHL honors
Panthers' Bennett and Barkov add Conn Smythe, Selke, and King Clancy honors (Image via: Getty Images) The Florida Panthers may have lifted the Stanley Cup for the second straight year, but the spotlight didn't stop there. While the Cup toured across South Florida and beyond, Panthers standouts Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov quietly added their names to more legendary NHL trophies this summer, cementing their places in hockey history. Sam Bennett wins Conn Smythe , Aleksander Barkov adds Selke and King Clancy to his legacy After a dominant playoff run, Sam Bennett was honored with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Florida center scored 15 postseason goals—more than anyone else—and delivered when it mattered most, notching eight goals in the Panthers' final six road games. Shortly after earning the Conn Smythe, Bennett signed a massive eight-year, $64 million contract extension to stay with Florida. It was a move that showed the team's commitment to keeping its championship core intact and keeping Bennett's momentum rolling. Aleksander Barkov earns Selke and King Clancy for excellence At the same time, Aleksander Barkov added two more major honors to his already impressive resume. The Panthers captain was awarded his third Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's top defensive forward. Known for his calm presence, elite puck control, and all-around play, Barkov remains one of the most respected two-way players in the league. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Se hai un obiettivo, ora scegli la strategia da abbinare eToro Learn More Undo But it was Barkov's impact off the ice that earned him the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award celebrates leadership and community work—both of which Barkov has shown in abundance. Since the 2019–20 season, he's pledged $1,600 for every goal and $800 for every assist to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. To date, he has donated more than $400,000. Barkov and Bennett recognized as true champs beyond Stanley Cup win When he found out about the King Clancy honor, it was the children from the hospital who delivered the news, a fitting tribute to a player who's made such a difference in their lives. Also Read: Sidney Crosby trade rumors intensify as Canadiens and Avalanche emerge as top contenders This summer wasn't just about lifting the Stanley Cup. For Bennett and Barkov, it was about being recognized as leaders, playmakers, and people who define what a winning culture looks like—on and off the ice. FAQs Q1: What trophies did Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov win after the Stanley Cup victory? Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Aleksander Barkov earned his third Selke Trophy for best defensive forward and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and humanitarian efforts. Q2: Why did Aleksander Barkov receive the King Clancy Trophy? Barkov was recognized for his exceptional leadership and charitable work, particularly his donations to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Since 2019, he has pledged money for every goal and assist, contributing over $400,000 to the hospital. Q3: How many goals did Sam Bennett score in the 2024 NHL Playoffs? Sam Bennett led all players in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 15 goals, including scoring in Florida's final six road games, a key factor in earning the Conn Smythe Trophy. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lessons to take from Panthers' emerging dynasty
The NHL, like all professional sports, tends to be a copycat league. When one team finds success, and especially sustained championship success, other teams are going to try and duplicate that approach. When it comes to the Florida Panthers, who have been the NHL's most dominant team over the past four years with a Presidents' Trophy win, three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and now two consecutive championships, there are quite a few lessons that can be taken. And lessons that probably should be taken. The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be in a position right now to take all of these lessons, but some of them can be stored away for when they become a contender again in future seasons. Advertisement You don't need to build entirely through the draft This is a big one for rebuilding teams to keep in mind, and it's one for the Penguins to keep in mind as they look at the fact they have 30 draft picks (and potentially more) over the next three seasons. Too many teams get into a rebuilding phase and simply wait for their prospects and draft picks to pan out. Detroit has been notorious for this under Steve Yzerman. Nobody in Detroit ever wants to show an ounce of frustration with the rebuild because 'we have to wait for the draft picks to pan out.' It's happening in Chicago right now, where so many are willing to be patient with a nightmare of a team because there are a lot of first-round picks you are waiting to find out about. Advertisement The Panthers only had five players on this year's postseason roster that were drafted and developed by the team — Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Anton Lundell, Dmitry Kulikov and Mackie Samoskevich. In Kulikov's case, even though he was drafted by the Panthers, he ended up spending 10 years away from the team before returning in 2023-24. Samoskevich is a good young player, but only appeared in four playoff games. That doesn't mean the draft isn't important, because it is. It's just mostly important for the absolute top of the roster. Florida's main drafted and developed contributors were top-two picks in Barkov (their No. 1 center and best overall player) and Ekblad (their No. 1 defenseman in terms of minutes per game). You still need to hit some home runs with picks at the top of the draft to help build the foundation. And while it is certainly possible to build depth around your stars through the draft, it doesn't need to be the only way. You can complement those players — and add more stars — through free agency and trades. Advertisement Florida had plenty of examples of both, whether it be big-time free agent signings (Sergei Bobrovsky), big-time trades (Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Seth Jones, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett), smaller, under-the-radar free agent signings (Carter Verhaeghe) or even waiver claims (Gustav Forsling). The draft is important for establishing your core and getting your main players at the top of the lineup. NHL-level scouting also matters for building out the rest of the team around them. It matters a lot. Don't overpay the bottom of the lineup This is an area where the Penguins have struggled since ... well ... their most recent championship team. Advertisement While the Panthers have made a ton of big-splash roster moves over the years to solidify the top of their lineup, they have been able to do so in large part because they don't overspend on the bottom of the lineup. I thought this was a great observation on their roster: Their fourth line averaging six figure contracts. Their third-pairing defense barely averaging more than $1 million. There was no Jack Johnson or Ryan Graves buried at the bottom of their defense. They were not paying Noel Accairi $2 million. They don't really have any 'bad' contracts. There has been so much arguing about the state income tax thing when it comes to building their roster and the advantage that may or may not present under the salary cap, but the biggest cap advantage they have has simply been not overpaying for bad players or spending too much money on the bottom of the lineup. Advertisement Every dollar you can save there is another dollar you can spend on the top of the lineup. Take big swings Don't play it safe. Don't be content. Don't be afraid to take a major swing for the fences when the opportunity presents itself. When the Panthers lost in the first round after winning the Presidents' Trophy, they took a huge swing by trading two key players in Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar for Matthew Tkachuk. It has turned out to be one of the most impactful trades in recent NHL memory. While Huberdeau has mostly flopped in Calgary, Tkachuk gave the Panthers an in-his-prime, MVP-level player, while also helping to further build their identity. It's been perfect in every way. Advertisement They took a couple more swings this season when they acquired Seth Jones from Chicago and Brad Marchand from Boston. They had some LTIR and salary cap help to create the space, and they got lucky with Marchand pretty much forcing his way to Florida, but they were still willing to pay the price and spend the money and assets when the opportunity presented itself. More from
Miami Herald
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Extensions give Florida Panthers defined window to contend. Are they also a gamble?
The Florida Panthers have established a defined window to continue contending for Stanley Cups. Florida has 10 players from its core — forwards Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand plus defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones — all signed through at least the 2029-30 season. All of them have no-movement clauses, meaning they can't be dealt away from the team without their approval. That gives Florida at minimum the next five seasons to remain at the top of the league with this group as it aims to build of its consecutive Stanley Cup championships the past two seasons. 'We have one of the deepest teams in the league, and we showed that over the last couple of years,' Bennett said. 'And the fact that we're keeping this main core together for the next, what is it, five years, that's pretty remarkable to do. It just shows that all these guys want to be here, and we care about winning. That's really our main focus is winning. It's going to be a fun ride for the next however many years.' That's the hope at least. But there is an inherent risk that comes with these elongated contracts, age being the biggest of them. Lundell is the baby of the group, not turning 24 until October. Tkachuk is next, turning 28 in December. Marchand is already 37, meaning he'll be 43 when his six-year extension wraps up. The other seven are all either 29 or 30 already, meaning they'll be 34-35 at the end of this window. Add in the grind that comes with extended playoff runs — Florida has played 314 games over the past three seasons and is going into its third consecutive short offseason after reaching the Cup Final every year since 2023 — and the fatigue factor certainly takes a toll. President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito, the architect behind retaining so much of the team's core, understands that how the Panthers manage their health over this window will be one of the chief determining factors in their success. How, exactly, do they adapt? That's still a work in progress. 'The honest answer is we don't know, but we're trying,' Zito said. 'What we've done is spent a lot of time, even over the course of the last year thinking that even if we have a little bit of a run into the playoffs that the fatigue level long-term is going to be significant. The team is getting a little bit older. We're getting into our late 20s. How can we address it? How can we get in front of it? Are there things we can do now? Should we start thinking about making some adaptations to the way we do things?' Zito said he and coach Paul Maurice have been working with Chris McLellan, the team's vice president of sports performance and strength and conditioning coach, to figure out a plan of attack that best looks at both short- and long-term solutions. That could mean baking in more rest days for players during the regular season. Florida did that just before the playoffs this season, rotating key players out of the lineup for a game or two once a postseason spot was secured to make sure everyone was as fresh as possible for the run at the Stanley Cup. That could mean altering how they travel for road games. The Panthers already don't fly out immediately after games unless there's a back-to-back, opting to stay in the city where they played an extra night and then fly the following day to their next destination. Modifications to training camp have already been discussed as well. 'We need to be creative and proactive,' Zito said. The players at this stage in their career are also cognizant of what they need to do to be in the best position to succeed. Bennett, for example, doesn't plan to get back on the ice until mid-August to recover as much as possible before slowly getting back into action ahead of training camp. 'I think now we know what works after going to the Final three years in a row,' Bennett said. 'You really have to give your body time to rest. Earlier in my career, we weren't playing nearly as long, but I think I would sometimes jump on the ice too early and not give my body enough time to rest. Certainly take a month off here. That's pretty much how I'll handle it.' They'll prepare for the inevitable ebbs and flows that come through a season. They have a blueprint of sorts now with how to maneuver consecutive trying seasons — and know the reward that awaits them if everything works in their favor once again. For at least the next five years, the window is there for the taking.
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov lacked motivation after first Stanley Cup but now eyes three in a row
After winning his first Stanley Cup in 2024, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, admittedly, lacked some motivation to get back on the ice. "That was my biggest dream in this game of hockey. So, of course, I got that feeling," the 2013 second-overall pick said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. "When I thought, 'OK, it's time to start training again,' it was really, really hard. Like, it's just really hard to get up and go somewhere for a run or for a lift or something like that." But then, he thought about the "big picture" and remembered that lifting the Stanley Cup is "the best feeling in hockey." Now, the Panthers have a chance to do something not accomplished since the early 1980s – win three consecutive Stanley Cups, and Barkov already "is thinking about next year." "To get that celebration again, to enjoy the season again with the team, go through the ups and downs and write another story and achieve that. So that kind of got me going. And we achieved it again. It wasn't easy at all. Mentally, it was really hard all year, but we did our best, we tried our best, and it was enough this year. But now, I have a better feeling about it. I can't wait to get going again." Perhaps his Celsius partnership fueled him in the middle of the season. The energy drink's 200 milligrams of caffeine helped Barkov get through those grueling days during the hockey year. For him, it's also a partnership that hits close to him – the headquarters are in nearby Boca Raton (the Panthers play in Sunrise), and he said Celsius is becoming a hit in his home country of Finland. "That's how I'm trying to live as an athlete. I'm trying to eat the right way. I'm trying to sleep the right way, recover, practice, train, whatever I do, I'm thinking about becoming a better athlete for the next day, for the next game," he said. "So I think Celsius fits that really well, because they have everything I need in one drink. It tastes really good as well, so I don't have to force it into myself. It keeps me awake when I need it the most, all the vitamins that I need throughout the day are there. So it's just a total package in one drink." Some extra motivation? Maybe the fact that he needs to come up with new ideas on how to celebrate with the Stanley Cup (he said 48 consecutive hours of celebration was his max). "We get to spend one day individually with the Cup, so that will be a challenge. I did everything I needed to do last year. I showed it to literally everyone I needed to show. So this year, probably taking a little easier and maybe spend more time just me and the Cup," Barkov joked. One idea, obviously, is to "pour a Celsius into it and just sip on it." He did also bring it to his neighbors' houses in the wee hours of the morning. But first, it will be another 82-game season, and then needing to win 16 more games in the postseason to lift the best trophy in sports again. "For me, I feel better right now to continue working, to continue getting better," Barkov said. "Because, well, last year, first time winning, it feels like, 'OK, now I've done everything I wanted, I dreamed about.' Now, after doing it a second time, it's the best feeling in hockey. You go through the long season, tough season with your team, and you battle through everything, and then you get to lift the Cup. And for us to have a chance to do it three times in a row, that's already a big motivation, because not too many teams have done it in such a long history. "Obviously, we just won, so we'll celebrate this one a little bit, but already thinking about next year, how big of a chance we have to make even bigger history. And that's what already drives me forward." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stanley Cup Final time, TV, how to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. The Florida Panthers, who needed 30 years to win their first Stanley Cup championship, can become the ninth NHL team with back-to-back titles. All they need is a home victory against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday, June 17. The Panthers took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final with a defensive masterpiece in Game 5. Advertisement "The most important thing is to stick with our game," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. "You don't need to change anything. ... That's been our whole mindset the whole playoffs. The next game, you have be better than the previous game." The Panthers are 3-1 this postseason when they have a chance to close out a series. In last year's final, the Panthers gave up a 3-0 series lead before winning in Game 7. The Oilers are counting on their resilience as they try to force a seventh game, which would be on Friday, June 20, in Edmonton, Alberta. "For some reason when their backs are against up the wall and they've hit rock bottom and they're facing elimination … they play their best and they don't panic," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. Advertisement Stuart Skinner will be back in the Oilers net for Game 6 after Calvin Pickard had played in Game 5. Here's what to know about Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, including how to watch: Game 6 preview: What Panthers, Oilers need to do to win When is Stanley Cup Final Game 6? Panthers vs. Oilers game time The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off Tuesday, June 17, at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 on? TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 6 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting. Advertisement Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 Date: Tuersday, June 17 Location: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: TNT, truTV Streaming: Max, Sling TV The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Final today: Time, TV for Panthers vs Oilers Game 6
