SUNRISE — This by no means will get outdated. By no means. It even felt higher within the repeating late Tuesday afternoon because the “Stanley Cup Champions” banner rose slowly to the rafters, Florida Panthers gamers watched on the ice with arms locked round one another and the sold-out crowd applauded.
Sure, this scene by no means will get outdated, irrespective of what number of instances it would occur, and the followers already had been counting forward.
“We wish three,” they chanted within the last seconds of the offseason inside Amerant Financial institution Enviornment. “We wish three!”
The acquainted names returned to their acquainted locations on this primary night time to take the primary, small step towards that. There was coach Paul Maurice behind the bench, taking a second to replicate on the 2 titles and admiring the gamers placing arms round one another even began analyzing his new strains.
There was ahead A.J. Greer reminding everybody how the fourth line issues to this group, selecting up some free change in entrance of the web and scoring the Panthers’ first objective.
There was Carter Verhaeghe scoring the second objective previous goalie Spencer Knight, the previous Panther who did all the pieces to maintain Chicago within the recreation.
Sure, the two-time champs had been again for the brand new season, and so was the outdated enjoyable, proper all the way down to the “Bobby” chants for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, even when there was little of the emotion or consequence of the final time everybody was in Amerant Financial institution Enviornment.
There can’t be in Recreation 1 of the brand new season. Not if you’ve climbed the mountaintop just like the Panthers have the previous two seasons. This primary recreation even lacked some big-night drama, as a result of as an alternative of showcasing the two-time champion in a prime-time opener in opposition to some Japanese Convention rival, they scheduled a 5 p.m. recreation in opposition to a blah Chicago group that hasn’t spilled any blood with the Panthers.
Not that Panthers want any extra drama. Probably not. Simply reaching this beginning line packed an excessive amount of even with out the emotion of the banner going up.
Their star of stars, Aleksander Barkov, was misplaced in all probability for the season with a knee harm. Their skating id, Matthew Tkachuk, is out the primary two or three months.
And, as if to point out how a lot house the Panthers now occupy in different group’s heads, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took everybody again to the Nineteen Seventies in preseason video games in opposition to them. Low cost photographs. Flying elbows.
The Panthers have gained within the gutter lately. They’ve gained with the depth of their roster coming by means of like on this opener, too. Mackie Samoskevich, a rookie no extra, bought his second help on the night time by air-mailing a third-period cross throughout the center that Boqvist bunted it in as he skated to the web.
“An important cross,” Boqvist stated. “I form of simply skated it in.”
Greer. Samoskevich. Boqvist. Jonah Gadjovich had an help. That’s the way you cowl on the primary night time for the lacking star energy of Barkov and Tkachuk.
That’s the way you write ending to an evening with stat. Aaron Ekblad skated out the Stanley Cup for the pregame ceremony contemplating Barkov couldn’t.
“It was unimaginable popping out in entrance of our followers to have the ability to hoist it yet one more time,” Ekblad stated at his locker after the sport. “However we’re making an attempt to place that feeling behind us and transfer on to a brand new season.”
No, it by no means will get outdated, that feeling because the banner goes as much as the rafters to remain ceaselessly. Goose-bumps certainly.
Jesper Boqvist scores the go forward objective throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Florida Panthers coachPaul Maurice throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
The Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Jesper Boqvist scores the go forward objective throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
A.J. Greer fights in opposition to Nick Foligno throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
A.J. Greer fights in opposition to Nick Foligno throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Carter Verhaeghe scores the second objective in opposition to Sergei Bobrovsky throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Followers cheer on the group earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
A younger fan cheers on the group throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
The 2025 Championship banner is raised earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
A.J. Greer is congratulated after he scores the primary objective for the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Frank Nazar scores the primary objective in opposition to Sergei Bobrovsky throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Followers cheer on the group earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Frank Nazar scores the primary objective in opposition to Sergei Bobrovsky throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Sam Bennett throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
A.J. Greer scores the primary objective for the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
The group watches the 2025 Championship banner as it’s lifted earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Aaron Ekblad brings the Stanley Cup onto the ice earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Aaron Ekblad brings the Stanley Cup onto the ice earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
The group takes the ice earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
The 2025 Championship banner is raised earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Kim Baston takes photographs with the reproduction championship rings earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Kayla Almeida and her mother Rosanna Rebelled take photographs with the reproduction championship rings earlier than the beginning of the Florida Panthers dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
Jesper Boqvist scores the go forward objective throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
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Jesper Boqvist scores the go forward objective throughout the Florida Panthers of their dwelling opener in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
