South Florida, guess what? Your Cats have done it again! For the third consecutive season, the Florida Panthers punched their ticket for a berth to play for hockey's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. This run of success has been a welcome chance for a franchise that was lacking an identity. Before 2023, Florida only had one Stanley Cup Final appearance in their history(1996).
Now, the Panthers will be looking for four more victories so they can have a second straight parade in Fort Lauderdale. However, before the Stanley Cup Final begins, Florida fans should pump the brakes and do some reflection. Believe it or not, your Panthers are now part of an elite class in North American professional sports.
Florida has become the first team to head to three straight championship series during a normal full season since the New York Islanders reached five straight Stanley Cup Finals from 1980 to 1984. Yes, the Tampa Bay Lightning did make the Final each year from 2020 to 2022, but the first two runs were during the shortened seasons as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, the Panthers have the more impressive run when compared to their in-state rivals. However, that's not even the big picture. Florida has joined a select list of several sports franchises to make their respective championships three years in a row. With Florida clinching their third straight berth in the Stanley Cup Final, they have joined nine other major sports franchises that have done the same since 1995.
As you can see, the once lowly Panthers have joined teams such as the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and the nearby Miami Heat. If you're a Panthers fan who doesn't follow the other sports much, then let me say, this is a phenomenal and historic group to be a part of.
Think about it. Names like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sergei Bobrovsky are now athletes who are on the same level as some of the greats in sports history in this regard. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant. Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. That is a legendary list of athletes who have been named from those respective teams in pro sports who have accomplished this feat. That's not even mentioning the coaches/managers that led those teams to legendary heights.
Phil Jackson, Joe Torre, Bill Belichick, Jon Cooper, Andy Reid, Steve Kerr, and Erik Spoelstra were the men leading the way for these all-time great squads in sports. Who would've thought that Paul Maurice would join that list? This is a guy who had only one Stanley Cup Final appearance in his entire career with the 2002 Carolina Hurricanes, before 2023.
This is the same guy who failed during his brief two-year stint in Toronto in the mid-2000s. This is the same guy who wore out his welcome with the Winnipeg Jets, despite leading the revived franchise to the 2018 Western Conference Final. He bounced around different stops, and many didn't think 'Coach Mo' would be the right man to lead Florida to the promised land.
Well, the coaching lifer finally found the right spot for him to finally get over that hump and win a Stanley Cup. Now, he has a chance to get another and bolster his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in league history. There is no doubt that this Florida Panthers team is something special. It's not every day that fans get to see a team sustain this level of success for this long.
We could be seeing the next dynasty in the NHL. It is those dynasties that add themselves to a list like this. Of all the teams on this list, eight have won at least two championships. The only outlier is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made it to four straight NBA Finals, but lost three of them. Thank Durant for that.
The Cats have a golden opportunity to add to their impressive resume this decade, as well as to their lore. They once again meet the Edmonton Oilers to claim Lord Stanley's Cup. It will be difficult, considering the opponent has the best player in hockey in Connor McDavid. Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is next Wednesday.