It’s taken some time, and a couple Stanley Cup victories, but the Florida Panthers are finally considered among the best teams around.
Not just in South Florida.
Lately, unfortunately for local sports fans, it’s not an incredibly high bar to reach.
Zooming out, though, even for casual hockey fans, its hard not to acknowledge and appreciate what the Panthers have done in recent years.
Three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances.
Back-to-back championships.
Built to contend for titles for the next several years.
Looking across the sports landscape, you’d be hard pressed to find a team who is a combination of built and performing better than the Panthers.
That’s why it’s quite fitting that Florida is among the finalists for Best Team at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
Of course, it’s a category with more than the usual handful of options. Florida is one of nine teams up for the award, joining University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, University of North Carolina Women’s Lacrosse, Philadelphia Eagles, Ohio State football, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Voting is now open, and you can cast your ballot by clicking here.
The 2025 ESPYs are set for July 16 at 8 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) is handed the Stanley Cup from Gary Bettman, the NHL Commissioner, after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)