Panthers’ Sam Bennett trolls Oilers during day with Stanley Cup

“Sam Bennett is all about creating waves,” Pritchard wrote on social media. The statement regarding the former Calgary Flame has never been spoken with more truth. The 29-year-old put up the best season of his NHL career in 2024-25.

After setting career highs in assists (26) and points (51) during the regular season, Bennett became the Panthers’ biggest performer in the playoffs. The Ontario native led all skaters with 15 goals, finishing tied for seventh with 22 points in 23 games. He became the 19th player in NHL history to post 15 goals in the postseason, a feat accomplished by former Oiler legends Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Craig Simpson and Mark Messier, as well as current forward Zach Hyman.

He was a thorn in the side of every team Florida had to go through in order to win the franchise’s second straight championship, especially the Oilers. His physical play, paired with his ability to score important goals at key points in the game, has led many fanbases to dislike him – which is saying something given that he was on the same team as Brad Marchand this spring.

In the six games against Edmonton, Bennett found the back of the net five times, posting six points in the series, and became the first player in Panthers history to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

When fans thought Bennett was going to move on this season, as he was a pending unrestricted free agent, he elected to run it back, signing an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8 million.