Jun 30, 2024; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) raises the cup during the Stanley Cup victory parade and celebration. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Panthers Named Team of Year

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated May 22, 2025 8:30 AM ET

The Florida Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and have their sights set on repeating as they hold a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final. The Stanley Cup isn’t the only award the Panthers are taking home in the past year.

In their annual award show, the Sports Business Journal named the Panthers the Sports Team of the Year.

Sports Team of the Year: @FlaPanthers

Stanley Cup champs Florida Panthers sold out season tickets for the first time, opened a new training complex, and boosted regional viewership with a new broadcast deal.#SBJAwards pic.twitter.com/oYbZzDQqN7
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) May 22, 2025

Not only did the Panther win their franchise’s first Stanley Cup, but they sold out season ticket packages for the first time ever, opened a new training facility in Fort Lauderdale, and landed a new regional broadcast deal to expand their viewership.

It wasn’t that long ago the Panthers were a laughingstock in the NHL, with many fans begging they be relocated. With help from the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and captain Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers are one of the best teams in the league and show why they are a force to be taken seriously every night.

Tkachuk has turned into one of the faces of the league while Barkov is regularly in consideration for the Selke Trophy as a top defensive forward in the NHL.

Veteran and future Hall of Fame goalie Sergei Bobrovsky may be 36 years old, but he’s still at the top of his game.

The Panthers finished the 2024-25 regular season third in the Atlantic Division with a 47-31-4 record for 98 standings points. It’s a step down from their 110-point finish last year, but they don’t appear to have lost much ground and are showing no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover.

They've done great stuff on the ice and are being rewarded for their off-ice efforts as the top team in the world for 2025.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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