• Loading stock data...
Sunday, August 24, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Buy tickets now!

Panthers Repeat as Stanley Cup Champs, Buoyed by Bold Deadline Move

The surprise trade for Brad Marchand played a major role in Florida’s back-to-back NHL titles. The second consecutive win also sets the stage for the league’s potential Southern expansion.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Hoisting the cup on their home ice in Sunrise, Fl. after a rematch of the 2024 Finals, Florida became the 10th NHL franchise to win two consecutive championships. 

Panthers center Sam Reinhart scored 4:36 into the game. It was the only goal Florida would need in a 5–1 win, but Reinhart added three of the other four.

Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Mar. 7 trade that sent Bruins captain Brad Marchand to the Panthers also proved to be key for Florida. Marchand, who helped lead Boston to the 2011 Stanley Cup win early in his 16 years with the Bruins, landed in the Sun Belt in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The cap hit for the Panthers was about $3.1 million, as the Bruins retained 50% of Marchand’s $6.125 million salary.

The roster move defined the Panthers’ regular-season push into the playoffs and their Stanley Cup–winning postseason run: the 37-year-old Marchand finished the postseason with 10 goals and 10 assists, including two goals in Saturday’s penultimate game. Marchand’s Game 5 performance marked an NHL record: the forward became the first player to score at least five goals in two different Stanley Cup Finals series with two separate teams.

Yet the dramatic Finals—which included three overtime games, heated and high-scoring performances, the first Cup rematch since 2009, and the star power of Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk—delivered uneven ratings in the U.S.

Through Game 5, overall viewership has averaged about 2.5 million—down 28% from a year ago and 5% from 2023, when the network last carried the Stanley Cup Final. Compared to the 2024 postseason, TNT and ESPN each saw viewership declines; both conference finals, for instance, experienced double-digit dips. (Canadian audiences, however, have been strong, with Sportsnet and CBC viewership seeing a 2% bump over last year.) Conspicuously absent from the playoffs were the major television markets of New York, Boston, and Chicago—no U.S. Original Six franchise made the postseason.

The declining ratings are particularly pertinent because of February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which replaced this year’s All-Star Game. The international best-on-best tournament, featuring Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland, drew massive audiences; the final on ESPN between Teams Canada and USA became the NHL’s biggest U.S. broadcast ever with 9.3 million viewers. But the event’s runaway success—alongside the completion of Alex Ovechkin’s GR8 Chase to become the top-scoring NHL player—did not result in increased postseason viewership.

Florida’s continued dominance, however, could be a boon for the growth of hockey in the American South—a significant opportunity for the NHL—especially as Atlanta pushes to secure a new franchise in the potential next era of league expansion.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bill Belichick Tells UNC Football Team Hulu Series Is Happening

FOS reported last month that the Hulu series was nearing finalization.

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.

SEC Adopts 9-Game Conference Schedule As CFP Changes Loom

The conference matches schedule formats used by the Big Ten and Big 12.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20) returns a kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
August 18, 2025

‘Fauxbacks’ Throw Back to a Retro Uniform That Never Existed

Many throwback jerseys are brand-new designs or “Franken-Unis.”
August 17, 2025

‘Labubu Gang’: The Creepy-Cute Dolls Sweeping Pro Sports

The creepy-cute doll is the hottest collectible—and fashion statement.

$2B A’s Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, on Track for 2028

Construction progress and costs pick up in the Las Vegas project.
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore
August 21, 2025

Timberwolves Lay Off Dozens After A-Rod, Lore Take Over

Rodriguez and Lore took over the Wolves and Lynx in June.
August 21, 2025

Amid Dream Season, Valkyries Face Potential Playoff Arena Conflict

The Valkyries are seventh in the WNBA standings.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
August 20, 2025

Yankees TV Ratings Swing Up 5% From 2024, 12% Higher Than Mets

The club’s local viewership improves, due largely to surges in streaming.
Bay FC
August 20, 2025

Bay FC Set to Break NWSL Attendance Record in San Francisco

NWSL players have often resisted playing at baseball stadiums.
August 19, 2025

Rockies Are No Longer on Record-Setting Path to Rock Bottom

The MLB club’s play improves considerably.
May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) react after a play against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
August 19, 2025

Full Celtics Ownership Picture Clearer As Chisholm Takes Over 

Chisholm immediately takes over as lead governor.