The 2024 Stanley Cup Final was, quite frankly, a emotional meat grinder. If you were watching back in June, you saw the Florida Panthers almost pull off the most legendary collapse in hockey history, only to snatch victory back at the very last second. It was chaotic. It was stressful. And for fans in South Florida, it was finally the year the rat-throwing tradition ended with the ultimate hardware.
The Stanley Cup winner 2024 is the Florida Panthers. They didn't just win; they survived a seven-game rollercoaster against the Edmonton Oilers that felt more like a psychological experiment than a hockey series.
The 3-0 Lead That Almost Vanished
Honestly, after Game 3, most people thought it was over. Florida was up 3-0. The Oilers looked gassed. Sergei Bobrovsky looked like a brick wall that had been sentiently programmed to ruin Connor McDavid’s life. Then, everything broke.
Edmonton didn't just "stay alive." They humiliated Florida in Game 4 with an 8-1 blowout. Suddenly, the Panthers' "suffocating" defense looked like a leaky faucet. By the time the series got back to Florida for Game 7, the momentum wasn't just in Edmonton's favor—it was practically a tidal wave.
Only one team in history had ever come back from 3-0 down in the Finals to win (the 1942 Maple Leafs). The 2024 Oilers almost became the second. They forced Game 7, and the tension in Amerant Bank Arena was so thick you could've cut it with a skate blade.
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Why the Panthers Didn't Choke
A lot of people think Florida won because of luck. That’s kinda wrong.
In Game 7, they went back to what Paul Maurice calls "hard" hockey. It wasn't pretty. It was a 2-1 grinders' delight. Carter Verhaeghe scored early, Sam Reinhart sniped the winner in the second period, and then the Panthers basically sat on the lead like their lives depended on it.
Aleksander Barkov: The Ghost Who Defends
You can't talk about the Stanley Cup winner 2024 without talking about Barkov. He became the first Finnish-born captain to hoist the Cup, which is a huge deal in Europe, but his real impact was quieter.
He spent the entire series glued to Connor McDavid.
Think about that. McDavid is arguably the most gifted offensive player to ever lace them up, and Barkov was on his hip like a shadow for 60 minutes a night. Even though McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (a rare feat for the losing side), he was held scoreless in Games 6 and 7. That is 100% the Barkov effect.
- Barkov’s Final Stats: 22 points in 24 games.
- The "Secret" Stat: He shut down Nikita Kucherov, David Pastrnak, Artemi Panarin, and then McDavid in four consecutive rounds.
Paul Maurice and the 26-Year Wait
The coaching story here is actually pretty moving. Paul Maurice had coached nearly 2,000 NHL games before this night. He’d been to the Finals before and lost. He’d been fired. He’d resigned.
When the buzzer sounded in Game 7, he didn't just celebrate—he looked relieved. He’s now the guy who has coached the most games in NHL history before winning his first Cup. It’s a lesson in stubbornness, really. He changed Florida's entire identity from a "run and gun" team to a defensive juggernaut that wins by making the other team miserable.
The McDavid Paradox
It’s weird to talk about the winner without mentioning the guy who lost. Connor McDavid’s 2024 postseason was historic. 42 points. 34 assists (breaking Wayne Gretzky’s single-season record).
But in the end, hockey is a team sport, and Florida had more "team." While Edmonton relied heavily on the "Big Two" (McDavid and Leon Draisaitl), Florida had four lines of guys who were willing to eat pucks and finish checks.
What You Should Take Away From This Win
The Florida Panthers' victory wasn't just about talent; it was about a specific style of play that dominates modern hockey. If you're looking to understand why they won, look at these specific factors:
- Forecheck Aggression: They never let Edmonton’s defensemen breathe.
- Goaltending Stability: Even when Bobrovsky struggled in the middle of the series, he stayed calm for Game 7.
- Roster Depth: Having guys like Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk who play "playoff-style" hockey year-round.
If you want to dive deeper into how this roster was built, you should check out Bill Zito's trade history. He basically overhauled this team in three years, moving fan favorites for "grittier" players who fit Paul Maurice's system. It’s a masterclass in GM management.
To wrap this up, the 2024 Florida Panthers proved that you don't need a 50-year history to be a hockey town. You just need a team that’s willing to play the most boring, defensive, and physically punishing 2-1 game of their lives when the Cup is on the line.
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Keep an eye on the salary cap changes for the upcoming season, as Florida has some massive contracts to juggle if they want to run it back. You should also watch the 2024-25 season opener highlights to see the banner raising—it’s a rare moment of pure catharsis for a franchise that spent decades in the wilderness.