During the Florida Panthers’ victory rally at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, Brad Marchand’s stepson, Sloane, stood out from all the others on stage. He wasn’t wearing one of those bright red ‘REIGNING CHAMPS’ t-shirts that everyone seemed to have on. Instead, his t-shirt had the faces of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Marchand printed on it. Right below the ensemble of faces were the words, ‘BRING THE BOYS BACK’ written in red.

Bennett was, of course, ‘brought back’ on Friday. And from the updates that have come out, Sloane’s t-shirt could become obsolete pretty soon. For all the good reasons. That’s because the Panthers have finally put pen to paper and come up with a new contract for Ekblad. But, to be honest, that isn’t much of a surprise. The Canadian defensive mastermind had posted 13 points and a rating of plus-10 in the playoffs to help the Cats retain the Cup in Miami.

In a post by the official Panthers X account from June 30, Ekblad’s latest NHL update was shared. “EKKY’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” reads the thunderous caption of the post. As per reports, the blueliner will stick around in Sunrise, Florida, for another 8 years. Though the financial terms of the new contract have not been revealed yet, this is undoubtedly news that will make the Panthers fans happy, knowing that their defensive stalwart will continue his NHL career with them for the years to come.

“Aaron is a pillar of our defense who has consistently excelled at both ends of the ice as one of the best defensemen in the NHL over the past decade,” said general manager Zito about the Panthers’ No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. “Aaron’s consummate leadership on and off the ice has been integral to our team’s success,” the GM said further about Ekblad, who won the Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign.

Ekblad’s career-high 13 points in this year’s playoffs led the Panthers’ blueliners. That’s not all, Aaron’s 33 points in the regular season were also the best score posted by any of the Cats’ defensemen before embarking on the postseason. Only Captain Aleksander Barkov is ahead of him in terms of games played for the Miami outfit. And obviously, he was happy that he would get to add to that tally.

“Panthers fans, Aaron Ekblad here. I am so excited to be a Panther for the next eight years,” said the D-man via the Florida Panthers’ X handle. “I am honored and privileged to have gotten a deal done today. It’s everything I could have ever asked for. I am really excited to get back to work and get on our way to winning a third straight Stanley Cup.” Yes, Daily Faceoff‘s Jeff Marek had expected Ekblad to move to Utah amidst all the uncertainty surrounding the defenseman’s contract. But Ekblad himself never sounded like he ever wanted to leave Miami.

“I’ve spent 11 years here, and that’s more than I’ve spent in any home or city in my life. So it’s home, and I expect it to be home,” he said before the Stanley Cup parade celebration on June 22. Quite a statement to note your hopes of lingering around. And now, along with the fans, Aaron can also breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he will continue to don the Panthers’ jersey all the way through 2033.

But, of course, if Sloane’s t-shirt is going to be truly obsolete, the Panthers have to get one more signature.

Aaron Ekblad will be in good company for the foreseeable future

The Cats just couldn’t let go of Sam Bennett’s playoff pedigree. However, the $64 million contract handed to the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner also put a question mark on the Panthers’ financial strength to retain the likes of Ekblad and the former Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

Luckily, it seems like things have panned out rather well for the champs. As per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the 37-year-old Marchand is also going to continue playing for the Panthers for another tenure. Per the NHL insider, the Canadian winger has agreed to a six-year extension with Florida, in exchange for just under $32 million, with a $5.3 million AAV.

If the contract with Marchand indeed comes through, the Panthers will have retained all of their core players who helped them become the champs for the second straight season. So, how do you think Aaron Ekblad & Co. will give back to the team that has shown such faith in their talents with the hockey stick? How do you think this enhances the Cats’ chances of bagging the rare three-peat? Share your opinion with us below!