SUNRISE, Fla. – Sam Bennett’s phone blew up when the news broke.
Eight more years for Mr. Conn Smythe.
“I got like three FaceTimes right away from the boys,” Bennett said Saturday, the day after inking his hefty contract extension. “A couple of them were together, and they were so fired up. The group chat was going nuts. I’ve said it a million times, this group is so tight. There’s many guys that really care about each other. I was definitely feeling the love last night.”
Clearly, that love is mututal.
After helping the Florida Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups, Bennett was considered one of the top players in the NHL potentially heading to the open market on July 1.
Thanks to some savvy work from Bill Zito, he never made it to free agency.
And although the grizzled forward wasn’t shy about his desire to remain with the Panthers – look no further than his Wolf of Wall Street inspired “I’m not leaving” speech at the team’s post-Cup celebration – the act of putting pen to paper was a relief.
Sure, he could’ve played elsewhere.
The fact is he didn’t want to.
“I knew that I wanted to be here, and I was pretty confident that it was going to get done,” Bennett said. “Obviously, you never know. Things can change. It had to be the right fit for both me and the team. We obviously came to that solution. Obviously, I couldn’t be happier. Being in South Florida has completely changed my life. I love playing hockey there. I love living there. I love the team, the staff and the owners. Everything about [this place] is really the dream situation. I couldn’t pass up the chance to be back here for another eight years.”
Looking at his production, it’s no surprise Bennett was a hot commodity.
After setting a new career-high with 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists) in 76 games during the regular season, the 29-year-old earned MVP honors in the playoffs with 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in 23 games to help the Panthers secure their second straight Cup.
Earning his “Playoff Sam” nickname, he also made history in the Stanley Cup Final.
In Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, he scored to set a club record for the most goals in one postseason with 12 – a number that would later end at 15. In Game 2, he scored his 12th road goal of the playoffs, setting a new NHL record for a single postseason. In Game 3, he scored to set a new team record for the longest goal streak in one playoff year with four.
Over the team's three straight trips to the Cup Final, Bennett’s 27 goals rank second on Florida.
With that, it’s no surprise he eventually became “Payday Sam.”
“I’m really just grateful,” Bennett said of his breakout with the Panthers. “It’s been everything I’ve always dreamed of, this last year of hockey. If you would’ve asked me that five years ago, I would’ve been thrilled with just a little bit of success. I haven’t really had time to process how amazing this year’s been. I truly believe that we’re not done yet.”
Considering the state of Florida’s roster, it’s easy to share Bennett’s belief.
With Zito expertly crafting arguably the best core of players in the NHL, the Panthers have eight players currently signed through at least the 2029-30 season, including Bennett (32-33), Aleksander Barkov (29-30), Matthew Tkachuk (29-30), Sam Reinhart (31-32), Carter Verhaeghe (32-33), Anton Lundell (29-30), Seth Jones (29-30) and Gustav Forsling (31-32).
Going off the lineup they iced for their Cup-clinching Game 6 against the Oilers, that list of players features five of their top-six forwards, two of their top-four defensemen and each of their top-three centers.
Not bad company.
“We have one of the deepest teams in the league, and we’ve showed that the last couple years,” said Bennett, who brings a unique physical, hard-nosed approach to the team. “The fact that we’re keeping this mini core together for the next five years, that’s pretty remarkable to do. It just shows that all these guys want to be here and we care about winning. That’s really our main focus -- winning. It’s going to be a fun ride for the next however many years.”
As Bennett said, there’s only one thing to do now.
Buckle up.
