Joining the Mammoth during free agency over the summer, it’s safe to say that both Schmidt and Vanecek made the most out of their one exciting season in South Florida.
After racking up 19 points (5G, 14) in 80 games during the regular season, Schmidt went on to erupt for 12 points (3G, 9A) in 23 games during the playoffs, which ranked second behind only Aaron Ekblad (13) for the most points among the team’s blueliners in the postseason.
In Round 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he scored three crucial goals.
“He was dynamic, he was up the ice, scored some big goals in the Tampa series for us and did it all with a huge smile,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “He made everybody laugh while he was doing it.”
Acquired at the trade deadline, Vanecek appeared in nine games for the Panthers at the end of the regular season, giving Sergei Bobrovsky time to recharge for another deep playoff run.
In the postseason, the backup goaltender’s center-ice staredowns with Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner during the Cup Final led to fans labeling him as a master of mind games.
Like Schmidt, last year’s Cup was the first of Vanecek’s career.
“He played big games for us, and it allowed us to put Bob (Bobrovsky) in a position that he could be as good as he was for two months,” Maurice said. “He was really important.”
Just like it was in 2024, the bonds forged during this latest Cup run will last a lifetime.
“Two great people, two great teammates of ours, and great to see them last night and how happy they were,” Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist said.
