You can feel the excitement in Sunrise as the Florida Panthers kick off their quest to try and make history by winning the Stanley Cup three times in a row; a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in over forty years. The last team to pull off a double defense was the New York Islanders. They in fact won four Cups in a row from 1980 to 1983! Even with the boost of winning back-to-back championships, the Panthers are diving into the new season on the back foot. It’s not easy, with key players like Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk out for the long haul due to injuries.

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad said, “There’s a lot of work to be done,” before adding, “The hunger is still there and the belief that we can do it.” On Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena, the championship defense kicked off as the Panthers celebrated by raising their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner in front of an excited home crowd. The game against the Chicago Blackhawks was a tough one, but despite the injuries and the low scoring affair, the Panthers locked in for a 3-2 win to kick off their campaign.

After a back-and-forth battle that had things tied at 2-2 halfway through the third period, Jesper Boqvist stepped up and scored the go-ahead goal, clinching a 3-2 win. The Florida Panthers’ success on the ice has really fired up their business. The organization has really made the most of its championship status. According to @PuckReportNHL on X, the season opener had the Panthers leading in attendance with 19,655 fans (102.1%), followed closely by the LA Kings at 18,145 (100%) and the New York Rangers with 18,006 (100%).

The ongoing sell-out streak and rising demand really highlight the strong bond the back-to-back champions have built with their South Florida fans, creating a buzz for the exciting season ahead. Players have mentioned the electric atmosphere, with Evan Rodrigues saying, “Throughout the regular season and the playoffs, our rink gets rocking.”

They make the most of their home-ice advantage, as shown by their solid 27–12–2 record at home during the 2024-25 season. And remember how their coach kept that promise he made before the game?

The Florida Panthers were just ready before their regular-season games

The Florida Panthers finished off their preseason with an exciting game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. It got totally out of hand, with 65 penalties racking up to an incredible 312 minutes. Florida won the game 7-0, but there was something that had Panthers fans a bit worried. Aaron Ekblad, the defenseman, took a cross-check to the face and had to exit the game just a few minutes after it started.

With players like Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov already out of the regular season mix, fans were definitely feeling a bit worried about this situation. But all those worries eventually disappeared when Panthers insider George Richards shared that “Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe both on the ice for the Florida Panthers.”

Before, Panthers coach Paul Maurice aimed to stay connected with his veteran players in the preseason, despite their late involvement with the rest of the team. So, with Ekblad being one of those players, that cross-check he took against the Lightning definitely gave the fans a bit of a scare for his future. However, it was great to see him and Verhaeghe back on the ice for practice.

It highlighted the dedication they, along with their coach, have for the team as the regular season was just around the corner. So, both Ekblad and Verhaeghe ended up playing in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, and guess what? Verhaeghe even scored a goal!