32 Years, Zero Cups: The Florida Panthers delivered the perfect reminder that Canada still sucks at hockey

It’s official. For the 32nd straight year, Lord Stanley’s Cup will remain where it belongs in the United States of America. The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers last night in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs 5-1 sending all Canadians into their annual summer of hockey despair and honestly, it was beautiful to watch.

The Florida Panthers win the 2025 Stanley Cup

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE YOUR 2025 #STANLEYCUP CHAMPIONS‼️ pic.twitter.com/GU5wNe4pKL

— NHL (@NHL) June 18, 2025

The Panthers go back-to-back and keep the Cup in South Florida after they beat the shit out of the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

A team located in a state where most residents think “icing” is what goes on a cake is slowly becoming hockey’s next dynasty while Edmonton, a city that bleeds hockey in a country that takes pride in the sport, has been trying to win for the past 30+ years.

Canada’s Quest for a Stanley Cup

• Vancouver tried in ’94. Denied.
• Calgary in ’04. Nope.
• Edmonton in ’06. Take a hike.
• Ottawa in ’07. LOL.
• Vancouver (again) in ’11. Still no.
• Montreal in the bubble year? Not even close.
• Edmonton in ’24? Spanked.
• Edmonton in ’25? Eviscerated.

It’s the same story every time. A Canadian team makes a run, gets the country hyped, and then a team from Tampa or Carolina or now Florida absolutely bodyslams them in front of the whole world.

This one might sting the most, though. The Oilers had Connor McDavid. They had Leon Draisaitl. They had a redemption arc written and ready to go.

Unfortunately, none of that mattered. They went with Stuart Skinner in net like it was a preseason game and got flattened. You know things are bad when you’re giving up empty netters with five minutes left in regulation.

That’s not a hockey game. That’s a public execution.

Florida dominated this series. Games 3, 5, and 6 weren’t competitive. Game 4 was a near-blowout until Edmonton miraculously came back. Game 6 was over before puck drop. It felt like the Oilers knew they were cooked the second they got on the team bus.

Now, the Panthers are officially on Dynasty Watch™. Three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Two championships. If Tkachuk didn’t break his sternum in 2023, we might be talking three-peat right now.

That trade was clearly franchise-altering for all the right reasons.

The whole damn team has been possessed ever since. Barkov, Reinhart, Tkachuk, Bobrovsky are savages. They don’t just want the Cup. They want to shove it in your face and then do it again next year.

And why wouldn’t players want to join? Florida has a wagon of a hockey team, warm weather, no state income tax, and apparently, zero pressure. You win or you hit the beach. Either way, it beats freezing your ass off in Edmonton or Winnipeg, right?

The Florida Panthers dynasty is already here.

Unfortunately for the rest of the league, the Panthers are sitting pretty. Their projected cap space for 2025 is around $19 million. They’ve only got three major free agents in Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand, who earned about $18 million combined this past season.

They can easily bring back two of them, maybe even all three if they get creative, and you can always get creative in Florida when players know they’ll keep more of their paycheck thanks to no state income tax. Offer a guy less money and he still makes more. The Panthers are basically running a legal cheat code.

Relive Sam Reinhart's Game 6 hat trick to lift the @FlaPanthers to the #StanleyCup! 🎩

And these are just three of his four goals on the night…

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/pnaj5PVXhR

— NHL (@NHL) June 18, 2025

Florida Panthers Long-Term Contracts:

• Matthew Tkachuk
• Aleksander Barkov
• Sam Reinhart
• Carter Verhaeghe
• Seth Jones
• Gustav Forsling
• Anton Lundell

That group is under contract through 2030. Sergei Bobrovsky has one year left at $10 million. Not ideal, but whatever. He’s earned it. He just won you two Cups. You let him cash in. Then hand the reins to someone else in 2026 and keep the machine running.

This is three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, with two wins. They are the new model franchise. Built tough, deep down the middle, mobile on the blue line, lethal on the power play, and mean as hell in the corners.

Tkachuk changed this team the moment he showed up. Barkov is the quiet killer. Reinhart does everything right. Lundell is just scratching the surface. Verhaeghe might be the most underappreciated 40-goal guy in the league.

They’re not going anywhere.

Meanwhile, in Edmonton, the vibes are bleak.

This was supposed to be their year. Instead, they look more cursed than ever. Two straight Final losses. Stars who disappear when it matters most. A goaltending situation that makes Flyers fans feel better about their lives.

As for Canada, they might want to stop calling hockey “their game.” It’s been 32 years. This is America’s trophy now. We let them play for it out of pity.

Here in Philly, the Flyers are…well, rebuilding, still. Matvei Michkov is the truth but outside of that, there’s really no pressure or expectations.

Right now, we’re all hoping that Danny Briere will figure out how to lead this team moving forward, so let the Florida Panthers win a few more cups and then the Orange and Black will take over the reigns and rise again to the top of the East.

Until then, all hail the Florida Panthers. Your next great NHL dynasty. Based in America. Coached in America. Paid in American tax shelters, and sending Canadian hopes to the grave one postseason at a time.

Florida Panthers are your 2025 Stanley Cup Champions. Canada is more than welcome to try again next year. And the year after that. And the year after that.…

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