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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
A mere year ago, the Florida Panthers skated off the ice in an arena on the Strip in Las Vegas a heartbroken NHL team after losing the Stanley Cup Final in five games to the Golden Knights.
But in a massive arena in western Broward County, the Panthers found redemption and rejoiced as plastic rats rained down on the arena ice in South Florida.
The Panthers were Stanley Cup champs Monday night after getting beaten down by the Vegas Golden Knights, 9-3, in Game 5 in June 2023.
The Florida Panthers, in their 30th season after South Florida businessman Wayne Huizenga helped start the NHL club, defeated Vegas rival Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers celebrated on the ice in Sunrise, Florida much the way the Vegas Golden Knights did last year — with smiles and tears, with family members and close friends, and with hugs and the knowledge their names would be engraved on the most iconic and difficult trophy to win in U.S. sports.
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has chased the Stanley Cup for three decades.
On Monday night, he held the trophy aloft in victory after his Panthers led the series three games to zero before losing three straight to Edmonton.
The Panthers returned to their defense-first approach to secure the Cup.
Maurice said the Panthers winning a fourth Final game and clinching the NHL title after losing three straight games was Florida Panthers hockey of not doing anything easy.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid was the MVP of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
McDavid becomes only the sixth Conn Smythe Trophy-winner from a team that did not win the Stanley Cup in the award’s 59-year history. In that category, he joins Roger Crozier (Detroit, 1966), Glenn Hall (St. Louis, 1968), Reggie Leach (Philadelphia, 1976), Ron Hextall (Philadelphia, 1987) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Anaheim, 2003).