The Florida Panthers are once again Stanley Cup champions.
On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, head coach Paul Maurice, captain Aleksander Barkov, Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett, trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand and the rest of the Panthers took a victory lap inside Amerant Bank Arena following a 5-1 victory over Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers in the final contest of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Officially, it was the 11th-place team defeating the 9th-place team in six games in the best-of-seven Final. And for the second-straight year, Florida beat the Oilers at home, snagging back sports’ greatest trophy before celebrating well into the morning hours.
No, it wasn’t the pre-game pump-up speeches, the raucous crowd, or the traditional jeering towards Commissioner Gary Bettman that captured the hearts of viewers across North America.
Rather, it was the passionate message delivered by all-star goaltender and devout Christian Sergei Bobrovsky when asked by Sportsnet’s Gene Principe how it felt to be back-to-back Cup champs.
“It’s an amazing feeling, obviously, you know?” he began. “I want to say thank you to the group of guys, obviously. It’s been an amazing war that we went through; the dedication, sacrifice, and everything. It’s been amazing.”
“I want to say thank you to my family, to my parents, for their sacrifice for me and obviously for my wife and two kids. They also allow me to play hockey and do my job. And I want to thank God for everything that I have, and everything that I don’t have.”
Following his brief start with the Philadelphia Flyers, Bobrovsky found himself in Columbus for seven seasons before opting to sign a massive, seven-year, $70-million contract with the Panthers. Despite the lucrative contract, Bobrovsky lost the starter’s net to up-and-coming star Spencer Knight. But due to various health concerns and his eventual trade to Chicago, Knight gave back the goal to “Bob.”
“And I want to thank God for everything that I have, and everything that I don’t have.”
“Over my career, I have had so many ups and downs,” Bobrovsky said following his second Cup victory. “And with one of the last downs, not many people believed in me that I (could) come back. So, that’s why I thank God for this experience, I couldn’t even dream about it, but now I’m here winning it twice, you know, it’s my life again. I couldn’t be more humble and appreciative. And again, I am nothing. It’s all God.”
The 2025 postseason itself provided a number of ups and even some downs for the Russian goalkeeper. After beating rival Tampa Bay in the opening round, his teammates fell behind 2-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, before coming back to win that second-round series in seven games. Although pushed to the brink of elimination, Bobrovsky did not break and helped lead the charge from the bottom up.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I want to say glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,” Bobrovsky told NHL on TNT’s Jackie Redmond. “I feel humbled and grateful for everything I’ve gone through. I give this victory to God. I thank Him for everything I have: my parents, my family, my wife, Olga, and my two daughters. And for this (Panthers) family. This family is amazing. I feel blessed with everything, and I thank God for that… and then it’s back to work.”
“I want to say glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.”
Bobrovsky became the 29th goaltender to win back-to-back Stanley Cups and just the 18th since the league upsized from six to 12 teams in 1967.
He helped his teammates out these playoffs with 192 stops on the 209 shots he faced, a 2.20 goals against average, a .914 save percentage, three shutouts, and improved to a 13-8-0 all-time record in series-clinching games.
“They’re amazing,” he added when asked about his Panthers teammates. “I feel so privileged to be their goalie. It’s a dream come true. And to win that trophy twice? It’s incredible.”
Oh, and he still has one more season left on his contract. Is there a chance Bobrovsky and the Panthers go for a three-peat in 2025-26?
You better believe it.
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