Bennett wins Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of Stanley Cup Playoffs

SUNRISE, Fla. -- As Sam Bennett was surrounded by the media on the ice at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday, the Florida Panthers forward was more focused on the team trophy he had just won rather than the individual one.

“My whole focus was on winning the Stanley Cup. It’s a huge honor to be nominated as the MVP, but there truly are 25 MVPs on this team, and it could’ve gone to anyone,” Bennett said about winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The forward was voted the winner after he helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season with a 5-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Final.

“I’m obviously super grateful, it means the world to me, but I really couldn’t have done it without this whole group,” Bennett said.

That may be true, but there’s plenty Bennett did to deserve the award.

He led the NHL this postseason with 15 goals, including five in the Cup Final. He's the fourth active player to score at least 15 goals in a single postseason, joining Oilers forward Zach Hyman (16 in 2024), Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (15 in 2018), and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (15 in 2009).

Bennett also set the NHL record for the most road goals in a single postseason (13). He extended his road goal streak to six games in a 5-2 win against the Oilers in Game 5 on Saturday, becoming the fifth player in League history to have a run of at least that length.

“He’s just a hell of a player, not just the goal-scoring and the playmaking, but the physicality, the presence on the ice,” Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said. “I think the other (defense) pairs know when he’s out there, and he’s just a huge part of this team. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Bennett is the first player in Panthers history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Last season, when Florida defeated Edmonton in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final, Oilers captain Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the sixth player to win the award from the losing team.

“For Sam Bennett to be here today with this group of guys, to have the success he’s had, there’s a lot of heaviness he had to unload, a lot of work that had to go into it,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “He didn’t show up with his talent and say, ‘OK, feed me and I’ll show you how good I am.’ There’s more to it.”

Bennett was acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Calgary Flames on April 12, 2021. Since then, he’s become an integral part of the Panthers’ rise to prominence, and his time in Alberta has become a distant memory.

“That seems like so far in the past now,” Bennett said. “This is the team I love to play for. These are my brothers, and it’s remarkable what we’ve done and what we can do.”

Bennett, who will turn 29 on Friday, finished this postseason with 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in 23 games, which was tied for fourth on the Panthers. He had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 19 playoff games last season to help Florida win the Cup for the first time in its history.

Bennett, who also had an NHL career-high 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists) in 76 regular-season games, is in the final season of a four-year contract he signed with the Panthers on July 26, 2021, and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He was asked prior to Game 6 how he’s managed to put the business aspect of the game aside while pursuing his second championship in as many seasons.

“I mean, competing for a Stanley Cup has always been my goal and my passion and what I’ve wanted to do. So, that’s just my focus," he said. "That’s all I want, and it’s been quite easy to just not even think about what’s to come.”

What awaits Bennett in the future remains to be seen. Right now, though, he’ll celebrate winning the Stanley Cup for the second time after being a huge part in the Panthers achieving it.

“I mean, I always believed in myself. I always knew I could be more than I was when I first got traded, but it’s all a dream, I guess, until you actually do it,” Bennett said. “I don’t think I knew how difficult it would be and how much work it would take. I mean, my whole life switched when I got traded here, and I’m super grateful to be here. Yeah, I don’t take that for granted.”