Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c00feeee-6ad9-4380-ac2d-9b623ecc9f39.jpeg] Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Florida Panthers [http://thn.com/florida] have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, becoming the third team in the last decade to do so, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning [http://thn.com/tampabay] and the Pittsburgh Penguins [http://thn.com/pittsburgh]. Known for their physical defensive style and depth, the Panthers have decimated every team in the playoffs since losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup finals. Their depth this season was highlighted by key contributions from their bottom defensive pairing and their fourth line, which included former Golden Knights players Nate Schmidt and Tomas Nosek. Schmidt signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in the previous offseason after becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1 following his buyout from the Winnipeg Jets. The 33-year-old fit perfectly into what the Panthers were looking for. He played in all but two regular-season games, scoring five goals and 19 points. In the playoffs, Schmidt added another three goals and 12 points in 23 games. During his time with the Golden Knights, Schmidt was loved for his vibrant personality and his outstanding performances on the ice. He scored 21 goals and 97 points in his three seasons with Vegas, routinely showing off his skating ability. The undrafted defenseman has defied a lot of odds in his career, and Golden Knights fans seem proud to watch their former breakout stud win his first Stanley Cup. Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/722c9ec7-800d-4e64-b4cf-cf7762a8f8c1.jpeg] Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Nosek has also added his first Stanley Cup to his resume. He, too, has had a difficult past few years, struggling to hold down a spot on several teams, but his performances in the playoffs changed everything this season. He skated in 59 regular-season games and wasn't in the lineup for the Panthers' first seven games of the playoffs, but his addition started the run against the Toronto Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] in the second round. He recorded three assists in 16 games in the postseason, serving as the Panthers' fourth-line center. After Captain Aleksander Barkov lifted the trophy, the first player he handed the Stanley Cup to was Schmidt. He handed it to another first-time winner Seth Jones, before he passed the honors to Nosek. The former original misfits were unable to win the cup with the Golden Knights but finally fulfilled lifelong dreams. Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwiNvfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
