A pair of former Pittsburgh Penguins are Stanley Cup champions with the Florida Panthers.
PITTSBURGH – For the first time in franchise history, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions, and they reached the mountaintop with some hard work from multiple former Pittsburgh Penguins. Evan Rodrigues and Dmitry Kulikov weren’t overly long-term members of the Penguins, but they made a difference in the Cup Final round.
The Panthers started their series against the Edmonton Oilers up 3-0, looking at a sweep, but they lost three straight, needing a seventh game. The Panthers came out on top with Rodrigues and Kulikov playing big roles in the deciding game.
Both Rodrigues and Kulikov recorded assists in Game 7, factoring in on both Panthers’ goals in the 2-1 win.
Rodrigues finished the 2024 postseason with seven goals and eight assists in 24 games played. Four goals and seven points came during the Stanley Cup Final, including a huge assist to open the scoring in Game 7.
Kulikov also appeared in all 24 playoff games for the Panthers, picking up two assists.
While Rodrigues and Kulikov made noise on the ice for the Panthers, a former champion with the Penguins works with the Panthers front office. Patric Hornqivst played the final games of his career with the Panthers before transitioning to the scouting and development department.
After winning the Cup twice with the Penguins, Hornqvist will get his third ring, this time not as a player.
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