FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Images of Aleksander Barkov hoisting the Stanley Cup are scattered all over the Florida Panthers’ team facility. It’s the ultimate reminder of the last two championship seasons: the team captain being the first one to lift hockey’s chalice.
Now, the Panthers face perhaps the ultimate challenge: Doing it again — without Barkov.
kAm%96 !2?E96CD H6C6 E96 4@?D6?DFD 72G@C:E6 E@ H:? E96 $E2?=6J rFA 2 H66< 28@j E96:C @55D 2C6 ?@H 369:?5 23@FE 2 92=7\5@K6? E62>D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ q6E|v| $A@CED3@@<[ ?@H E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A2?E96CD\2=6:DD D6G6? E@ ?:?6 >@?E9Dk^2m 3642FD6 @7 E62CD E@ E96 pr{ 2?5 |r{ 😕 9:D C:89E 66] %92E E:>6=:?6 32D:42==J >62?D E96 6?E:C6EJ @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? 2?5 >2J36 E96 6?E:C6EJ @7 E96 A=2J@77D 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmp?5 ;FDE =:<6 E92E[ 2 324<\E@\324< 492>A:@? 😀 46CE2:? E@ 36 5@F3E65] %92E >2J 36 2 8@@5 E9:?8]k^Am
kAm“{@@<[ J@F 42?’E C6A=246 E9:D 8FJ[Q D2:5 q:== +:E@[ E96 AC6D:56?E @7 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 86?6C2= >2?286C] Q$@[ H6 92G6 E@ 5@ E9:?8D 5:776C6?E=J] xEVD ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 36 5:776C6?E] p?5 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H2JD 7@C 2== @7 FD E@ 36 36EE6C[ >JD6=7 :?4=F565] p?5 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 7:89E] xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 32EE=6] (6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ D4C2E49 2?5 4=2H]”k^Am
kAm$:>A=6 DE2ED 5@?VE 4@>6 4=@D6 E@ 6IA=2:?:?8 q2C<@GVD G2=F6 E@ E96 !2?E96CD]k^Am
kAm%96 u:??:D9 DE2C 92D?VE 6G6? =65 9:D @H? E62> 😕 D4@C:?8 D:?46 E96 a_`g\`h D62D@?] w6 H2D E:65 7@C c`DE @? E96 }w{ D4@C:?8 =:DE =2DE D62D@?[ E:65 7@C afE9 E96 D62D@? 367@C6 E92E[ E:65 7@C bdE9 E96 D62D@? 367@C6 E92E 2?5 92D ?6G6C 7:?:D965 2?J D62D@? 36EE6C E92? `_E9] $:?46 q2C<@G 6?E6C65 E96 =628F6 `a J62CD 28@[ 96VD `fE9 😕 A@:?ED[ b`DE 😕 8@2=D 2?5 `eE9 😕 2DD:DED]k^Am
kAm{@@< 566A6C[ E96 !2?E96CD D2J] q2C<@G D6ED E96 A246 @? E96 :46] w6 D6ED E96 E@?6 😕 E96 =@4<6C C@@>[ 2D AC@G6? 3J 9:D H62C:?8 @7 E96 “r” — E96 3:886DE :?5:42E@C @7 9@4<6J =6256CD9:A — @? E96 =67E D9@F=56C @7 9:D DH62E6C] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^7=@C:52\A2?E96CD\DE2?=6J\4FA\7:?2=\b7h7f4bg2f2h6e6ae772h3g36h4efe3hQmx7 E96C6VD 2 DA64E24F=2C A=2J E@ 36 >256k^2m H:E9 2 82>6 @? E96 =:?6[ E96 !2?E96CD @H E96 8FJ H62C:?8 }@] `e H:== =:<6=J 56=:G6C] p?5 :7 E96C6VD 2 A=2J6C H9@ 😀 >@C6 67764E:G6 @? 3@E9 6?5D @7 E96 :46[ u=@C:52 42?VE E9:?< @7 @?6]k^Am
kAm{2DE D62D@?[ q2C<@G H@? E96 z:?8 r=2?4J %C@A9J 😕 C64@8?:E:@? @7 =6256CD9:A @? 2?5 @77 E96 :46 4@>3:?65 H:E9 9F>2?:E2C:2? H@C<[ 2D H6== 2D E96 $6=<6 %C@A9J E92E 86ED AC6D6?E65 E@ E96 }w{’D 36DE 5676?D:G6 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm“w6’D E96 36DE EH@\H2J A=2J6C 😕 E96 82>6[Q !2?E96CD 7@CH2C5 qC25 |2C492?5 D2:5] “*@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ C6A=246 E92E 8FJ]Qk^Am
kAmp?5 J6E[ E96 !2?E96CD DE:== 36=:6G6]k^Am
kAm+:E@ 92D 3F:=E 2 E62> H:E9 56AE9j u=@C:52 925 “ A=2J6CD H:E9 2E =62DE @?6 82>6\H:??:?8 8@2= 😕 =2DE D62D@?VD A=2J@77D 2=@?6[ EJ:?8 7@C E96 D64@?5\>@DE 3J 2?J E62> 😕 2?J A@DED62D@? CF? 😕 }w{ 9:DE@CJ] %92E 56AE9 😀 8@:?8 E@ 36 D6C:@FD=J E6DE65j 36D:56D q2C<@G[ 7@CH2C5 |2EE96H %<249F< 😀 =:<6=J @FE F?E:= 2E =62DE s646>36C 2?5 %@>2D }@D6< — 2 7@FCE9\=:?6 46?E6C H9@ 925 2 3:8 C@=6 😕 E96 A=2J@77D 2 J62C 28@ — 😀 @FE :?567:?:E6=J H:E9 2 66 :?;FCJ]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D ?@ 62DJ 82>6D 😕 E9:D =628F6 2?5 E96? =@D:?8 q2C<@G >2<6D :E E92E >F49 92C56C[Q 5676?D6>2? p2C@? t<3=25 D2:5] “%92EVD D@>6E9:?8 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 6>3@5J[ 2 52J\3J\52J >:?5D6E — 2=>@DE =:<6 E96 A=2J@77D] r@>6 😕 6G6CJ 52J[ 5@ 2 ;@3 2?5 5@ :E E@86E96C]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 H:== 36 >@C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 46CE2:? A=2J6CD ?@H]k^Am
kAmp?E@? {F?56== — H9@ D@>6 @? E96 !2?E96CD 92G6 @A6?=J 4@>A2C65 E@ 2 J@F?8 q2C<@G 2?JH2J — =:<6=J E2<6D q2C<@GVD DA@E @? E96 E@A =:?6] |24<:6 $2>@D<6G:49[ D@>6@?6 H9@ E96 !2?E96CD D2J 😀 >F49 36EE6C E92? 96 H2D 2D 2 C@@<:6 2 J62C 28@[ H:== 36 2D<65 E@ 5@ >@C6] tG2? #@5C:8F6D 92D 366? @? 2== 7@FC =:?6D 2E G2C:@FD E:>6D @G6C E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D[ 2?5 96V== =:<6=J 36 2D<65 E@ 3@F?46 2C@F?5 2D ?66565 282:?] tG6? A=2J6CD =:<6 $2> #6:?92CE WH9@ 925 7@FC 8@2=D 😕 E96 $E2?=6J rFA\H:??:?8 v2>6 e G:4E@CJ @G6C t5>@?E@? =2DE D62D@?X 2?5 r@?? $>JE96 %C@A9J H:??6C $2> q6??6EE 2C6 42A23=6 @7 >@C6[ E96 !2?E96CD :?D:DE]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 😀 ECF6 😕 2 ?F>36C @7 A=2J6CDi E96J’C6 ?@E aa 2?J>@C6[ 3FE E96J’C6 DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 36EE6C[Q !2?E96CD 4@249 !2F= |2FC:46 D2:5] Q%96J’C6 DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ 255 E9:?8D E@ E96:C 82>6] %96J’C6 4@>:?8 E@ E96 C:?< E@ 86E 36EE6C]”k^Am
kAmq2C<@G H:== 36 2C@F?5 E96 E62>] w:D G@:46 H:== DE:== 36 962C5 😕 E96 =@4<6C C@@>] %96 @?=J 5:776C6?46 😀 96 H@?VE 36 @? E96 :46]k^Am
kAmp?5 :7 E92E =625D D@>6 E@ 5@F3E E96 !2?E96CD[ |2C492?5 D2:5 E92EVD 7:?6 H:E9 E96>]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< E9:D 8C@FA ?665D 7F6=[Q |2C492?5 D2:5] “(6 @H H9@ H6 2C6] (6 @H H92E @FC 8@2=D 2C6 2?5 H92E H6’C6 =@@<:?8 2E 5@:?8 E9:D J62C] {@@<:?8 5@H? E96 C@25 2E H:??:?8 E96 $E2?=6J rFA 😀 E96 =2DE E9:?8 J@F H2?E E@ 5@ C:89E ?@H] %96C6’D DF49 2 =@?8 C@25 367@C6 E92E 2?5 E96C6’D D@ >2?J 5:776C6?E E9:?8D J@F ?665 E@ @G6C4@>6]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.