A pair of Tampa Bay Lightning alumni, Richard Panik and Byron Froese, raised the Gagarin Cup at the conclusion of the Kontinental Hockey League season.
Panik, the Lightning's 52nd overall selection from the 2009 NHL Draft, played parts of two seasons with the Lightning and their current American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch after spending a single season under Jon Cooper with their former affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals.
The Slovakian winger turned professional ahead of the 2011-12 season and made an instant impact in Norfolk. He scored 19 goals and 41 points in 64 games during his only full AHL season as a member of the Lightning organization. The next two seasons, he split time between Syracuse and Tampa Bay.
In 75 games for the Lightning, Panik lit the lamp eight times while totaling 22 points. Eventually, he was claimed off of waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending his time in Tampa Bay abruptly.
Ironically, Froese's time in Tampa Bay came after a stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it was short-lived. He appeared in just 10 regular season games as a member of the Lightning organization, split between the NHL and the AHL.
When Lokomotiv Yaroslavl defeated Ak Bars Kazan in the Gagarin Cup Final this season, both Panik and Froese lifted the trophy for the second straight season. At this stage, Froese is reportedly contemplating retirement and Panik's future plans are uncertain.
