Bobrovsky excited to play for Maple Leafs, in 'capital of hockey'

TORONTO -- Sergei Bobrovsky is thankful, not bitter.

The 37-year-old goalie, who signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, said he harbors no ill-will towards the Florida Panthers, his former team that decided to move on from him after a seven-season run (2019-26) that featured Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.

At the same time, he could not contain his enthusiasm at starting a new chapter in his career, this one with a fabled Original Six franchise.

"First of all, I'm excited for the opportunity,” Bobrovsky said Friday. "To be honest, I thought I'm going to stay in Florida. But things work out like how they work out, and the Leafs put their trust in me, they put their belief and they give me a good opportunity to join the historical, legendary team and be part of this organization."

One he is embracing, even if it means playing in the hockey fishbowl of Toronto.

"It's a blessing to join this team," he said. "This is Toronto. It's the capital of hockey in my mind.

"The fans are excited. There is going to be a great atmosphere, and I'm excited about that. It's a big responsibility and I'm looking forward to helping this team win."

He certainly did that with the Panthers, with his 201 wins third among goalies behind Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (246) and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets (228)  since signing a seven-year, $70 million contract ($10 million average annual value) with Florida on July 1, 2019.

Nevertheless the Panthers opted to turn the page after seeing Bobrovsky struggle with an NHL career-worst .877 save percentage in 52 games last season, and acquired goalie Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. That, Bobrovsky said, was the moment he knew his days in south Florida were over.

Instead of being angry that the cord was cut with the Panthers, Bobrovsky showed overwhelming gratitude toward the Panthers, starting with owner Vincent Viola.

"Taking a moment, I would like to use this opportunity to thank the Florida Panthers organization," he said. "It's been an amazing seven (years) for me. I want to thank everybody, the whole organization. The Viola family, they welcomed me into the family. It's been great. We won two Cups. It's been amazing. The coaches, medical staff, everybody, obviously fans, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank them for all that time. We went through a lot.

"Obviously my teammates, I love those guys. They've been amazing to me and the memories that we built together, they will stay in my heart forever."

As much as he would have liked to remain with the Panthers, he understands player movement is a part of the game.

"It's a business," he said. "The organization decided to move a different direction, and that's pretty much it. I respect that. I got nothing against it, that's hockey. They're responsible for their part, and I respect that. 

"In my position, again, as I said, I just want to keep only the appreciation and thanks for everything that they have done for me. It's been an amazing journey for me, and I can't thank them enough for everything that they have done."

While handing out thanks, Bobrovsky did just that when it came to Gavin McKenna, the 18-year-old who was selected by the Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. The rookie said this week he would surrender his longtime No. 72 to Bobrovsky, who wears the same number, and did exactly that during a conversation the two had Thursday.

"He's a bright guy," Bobrovsky said of McKenna. "He's got really positive energy. And I'm excited to watch him develop into a big superstar, honestly."

That wasn't the only welcome-to-Toronto moment Bobrovsky has received since joining the Maple Leafs.

One of the first people to reach out to him was Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, who served as Bobrovsky's backup during the Panthers' 2023-24 championship season. Now they're together again and Bobrovsky couldn't be more excited.

"We had great relationships when we won the Cup that year," he said. "We had a good bond. We helped the team. We worked together. We had a good time together.

"I'm excited to reunite with him."

Asked what made their goaltending partnership click, Bobrovsky said, "He's an easy-going guy. It's fun to be around him, to have some jokes and practices or some jokes outside of the practices. He's just a nice person."

Bobrovsky's mentorship also will be on display with Artur Akhtyamov, who was named most valuable player of the American Hockey League playoffs after leading the Toronto Marlies to the Calder Cup.

The 24-year-old has said he grew up idolizing Bobrovsky.

"The young guy, Artur, I talked to him once briefly," Bobrovsky said. "He seems like a bright guy too. He's a nice guy. He's a big prospect. And I'm excited to be part of his development too."

Signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent May 6, 2010, Bobrovsky is 456-266-58 with a 2.61 GAA, .912 save percentage and 53 shutouts in 806 regular-season games (791 starts) for the Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Panthers, ranking seventh in NHL history in wins. And in addition to his two Stanley Cup championships, he also has won the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goalie twice (2013, 2017).

It's the type of career that has him targeted for the Hockey Hall of Fame one day.

In the meantime, Bobrovsky is the centerpiece of a busy offseason orchestrated by Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka and the Toronto braintrust, which clearly has shown it has confidence that he can bounce back from a down season in which the Panthers missed the postseason after three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. The loss of Aleksander Barkov with ACL and MCL injuries in his right knee in September was a harbinger of the bad things to come, Bobrovsky said.

"It was a tough season for our organization," he said. "We had lots of injuries. Our captain went down right in the first practice. So that was kind of a starting point of all of this.

"Also, it's not easy. You know, the NHL, it's a tough league. Every team has good players. The Stanley Cup, it's the toughest trophy to win for a reason. And to play three years in a row all the way to the Final, it's not easy and (having) won twice. So, it was a tough season. But again, every season brings some challenges.

"There is never going to be a point that you kind of (say), 'All right, I know everything and I've been through everything.' There is always a challenge. And for me personally, I will be a student of this game for all my life."

A life, on and off the ice, that now enters its next stage with the Maple Leafs.