Aaron Ekblad and the Florida Panthers’ journey to their first ever Stanley Cup victory was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with drama and excitement. The team appeared to be on the fast track to success, quickly taking a 3-0 lead in the series against the Edmonton Oilers. Just one more win stood between them and hockey’s ultimate prize.
However, Edmonton had other plans. They staged an incredible comeback, becoming only the third team in NHL history to force a Game 7 in the final. The Panthers were tested, but they managed to pull through in the end, securing a nail-biting 2-1 victory in the final game.
“When you’re up 3-0, it doesn’t get any easier to win,” Ekblad shared with TSN 1050’s First Up. “When [the Oilers came back], what a crazy whirlwind, rollercoaster of emotions that you go through during that time. That feeling when you wake up in the morning and you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup is a feeling that’s unmatched. We got to do it four times, so you can imagine those mornings and how shaky our hands were.”
After their historic win, the Panthers had only a brief week to celebrate together before the harsh realities of the NHL calendar set in. The team faced major changes on the horizon, with key players like Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaving in free agency. The forward group also saw departures in Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Lomberg, and Kevin Stenlund.
Despite the roster shakeup, Ekblad remains optimistic for the future. “Every player has to chase the money at some point in their career, it’s really important,” he explained. “Obviously we would have liked to have some of those guys back in order to run it back, but we reached our ultimate goal. Kudos to them for going and doing what they need to do but we’ll be working and grinding [here] waiting to get back and do what we do best.”
The road to the Stanley Cup victory may have been rocky, but the Florida Panthers have proven themselves worthy champions. As they gear up for the new season, they carry with them the memories of their historic triumph and the determination to chase success once again.