Reinhart's record-tying night propels Panthers to repeat

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final ended in much the same way that many of its games went: in record fashion. The Game 7 hero from last June made sure that one would not be needed again this year as Sam Reinhart delivered a once-in-a-century style performance by scoring four goals to help clinch Florida’s Stanley Cup repeat. Overall, his seven goals matched the modern-era record (since 1944) for most in a single Stanley Cup Final, alongside Wayne Gretzky (7 in 1985), Mike Bossy (7 in 1982) and Jean Beliveau (7 in 1956) – the only other players in the past 102 years to reach the mark.

Reinhart (4-0—4) tied the Stanley Cup Final record for goals in a game and became the second player to score as many times in a Cup-clinching win – joining Babe Dye more than 100 years ago. Overall, he became the sixth player in NHL history to score four goals in any Stanley Cup Final game, and first to do so since Maurice Richard with the Montreal Canadiens 68 years ago (Game 1 of 1957 Stanley Cup Final vs. Boston Bruins).

Tkachuk nets Cup-clinching goal one day after Olympics nod

One day after being named to USA’s preliminary roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Matthew Tkachuk became the ninth American to score a Stanley Cup-clinching goal and first since Ross Colton with the 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning – which also completed a repeat on home ice in Florida. Less than three years after the blockbuster trade that made him a Panther, Tkachuk has twice celebrated a Stanley Cup win with his entire family on the ice in South Florida.

Bennett named playoff MVP after record-setting performances

Sam Bennett (15-7—22 in 23 GP) was selected as the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner after leading the League in goals (15) and establishing an NHL record for road goals in one playoff year (13) to help the Panthers become the 10th franchise in League history to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. He established an NHL or franchise record in each of the first three contests to open the Final – a stretch that watched the forward dazzle the home crowd in Game 3 with a must-see sequence that began with two hits in the defensive zone and ended with a breakaway goal, setting a franchise benchmark for longest goal streak in one playoff year (4 GP).

Bennett (15) tied Alex Ovechkin (15 in 2018) and Sidney Crosby (15 in 2009) for the second most goals in one playoff year among active players, behind Zach Hyman (16 in 2024). He also became the second player in NHL history to score 15-plus goals in a postseason without any 30-goal regular-seasons on his resume to that point – and first in more than a century (Newsy Lalonde: 17 in 1919 with the Montreal Canadiens).

Barkov, Marchand capture Cup for the second time

Named to Finland’s preliminary roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 the day before the clinching win, Aleksander Barkov captained the Panthers to a Stanley Cup for the second time in as many years – the first European in NHL history to wear the “C” for two Cup champions. The victory also came 16 days after he was announced as the repeat winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy (and first-time recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy) - delivered in a special surprise presentation from several girls and boys from Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Brad Marchand (6), who won the Stanley Cup for the first time since winning as a rookie with the 2011 Bruins (when he scored twice in Game 7, including once against Panthers’ executive Roberto Luongo), held the series lead in goals until Sam Reinhart (7) overtook both him and Sam Bennett (5) – claiming a championship with both of them for the second time in five months after their win together with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. It marked the second time in NHL history that three teammates each scored five-plus goals in the same Final, following Alex Delvecchio (6), Gordie Howe (5) and Ted Lindsay (5) with the 1955 Detroit Red Wings.