Only four other teams in NHL history waited longer than 30 seasons before hoisting the Cup for the first time: The St. Louis Blues (51 seasons), Los Angeles Kings (44 seasons), Washington Capitals (43 seasons) and Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (32 seasons).

And this comes after the Panthers lost in the Stanley Cup Final just last year in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights, making them the first team since the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup the year after losing in the Cup Final.

The Panthers are also the final of South Florida’s big-four professional sports teams to win a championship. The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973. The Miami Marlins won World Series in 1997 and 2003. The Miami Heat won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

So how did this Panthers team do it? How did this Panthers team become the first in franchise history to win it all?

There are many individuals you can focus on for the success.

You can point to coach Paul Maurice, in his 26th season as an NHL head coach who implemented a defense-first, forecheck-heavy system that got the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in both of his seasons with the Panthers.

Or perhaps Aleksander Barkov, the team’s unassuming captain and longest-tenured player who is the epitome of a complete, 200-foot player and whose talent is only exceeded by his work ethic.

Or Matthew Tkachuk, the brash star winger who the Panthers acquired ahead of the 2022-23 season to give them a player with the combination of tenacity, skill and edge the team was sorely lacking.

Or Bobrovsky, the veteran goaltender who returned to his All-Star and Vezina Trophy-worthy form over the past two years after three seasons to mostly forget to begin his Panthers tenure.

That would be missing the point, though. This Panthers team doesn’t point to one singular player. That’s not how they operate.

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