With 10 CHL alumni on their roster, the 2024-25 Florida Panthers continued a dominant pattern, marking the seventh consecutive season through which a Stanley Cup champion featured no less than 10 CHL graduates
Because the Florida Panthers edged the Edmonton Oilers in Recreation 6 of the Stanley Cup Last on Tuesday evening, 10 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) alumni hoisted the Stanley Cup, enjoying key roles in Florida’s profitable title protection and securing their second Nationwide Hockey League (NHL) championship in franchise historical past. In complete, 5 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) alumni, three from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and two from the Western Hockey League (WHL) lifted the Stanley Cup final evening as gamers of the champion Florida Panthers.
Florida Panthers ahead Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL) was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy because the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP, marking the ninth time up to now 12 years {that a} CHL alumnus has acquired the honour. The 28-year-old from Holland Touchdown, Ont., led all skaters with 15 objectives throughout the playoffs – setting a brand new Panthers franchise file – and he additionally established an NHL file with 13 street objectives in a single postseason. Bennett’s standout efficiency was instrumental in serving to Florida grow to be the tenth franchise in league historical past to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Along with Bennett’s standout efficiency, the Panthers’ playoff scoring was pushed by three fellow CHL alumni who led the workforce in scoring with 23 factors: Kootenay Ice (WHL) graduate Sam Reinhart, who tallied 11 objectives and 12 assists in 21 video games; London Knights (OHL) alumnus Matthew Tkachuk, with eight objectives and 15 assists in 23 video games; and Niagara IceDogs (OHL) product Carter Verhaeghe, who added seven objectives and 16 assists over 23 video games.
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers had been additionally guided by the regular management of head coach Paul Maurice, a CHL alumnus who performed 4 seasons with the Windsor Spitfires (1984–88) and captured an OHL championship behind the bench with the Detroit Jr. Pink Wings in 1995. At 58 years previous, Maurice grew to become the second-oldest head coach in NHL historical past to steer a workforce to consecutive Stanley Cup titles, trailing solely OHL alumnus Scotty Bowman, who achieved the feat with the 1998 Detroit Pink Wings at age 64.
Though they fell simply in need of their final aim, CHL alumni and Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid (Erie Otters / OHL) and Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL) completed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs because the NHL’s high scorers, every posting 33 factors. McDavid’s standout postseason additionally earned him a spot within the file books, as he grew to become the third-fastest participant in NHL historical past to succeed in 150 profession playoff factors—doing so in simply 95 video games—trailing solely fellow CHL legends Wayne Gretzky (Soo Greyhounds / OHL, 68 GP) and Mario Lemieux (Laval Voisins / QMJHL, 86 GP).
Over the course of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a number of CHL alumni had been additionally acknowledged for his or her excellent 2024-25 seasons with high NHL honours. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) graduate Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) claimed the Ted Lindsay Award, whereas Ottawa 67’s (OHL) alumnus Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets) acquired the Invoice Masterton Memorial Trophy. Former Saginaw Spirit (OHL) head coach Spencer Carberry (Washington Capitals) was awarded the Jack Adams Award, and present Saginaw Spirit (OHL) ahead Michael Misa (2025 NHL Draft prospect) earned the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence.
Heading into this 12 months’s Stanley Cup Last, 54% of the 269 gamers whose names have been engraved on the Cup since 2014 – 146 in complete – had been CHL alumni, together with 11 gamers on final 12 months’s Florida Panthers championship roster.
Fast Information
With 10 CHL alumni on their roster, the Florida Panthers helped mark the seventh season in a row that 10+ CHL graduates helped their workforce to a Stanley Cup title
Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL) grew to become the third consecutive CHL alumnus to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, following Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers / Erie Otters – OHL) in 2024 and Jonathan Marchessault (Vegas Golden Knights / Québec Remparts – QMJHL) in 2023
Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara IceDogs / OHL) grew to become simply the sixth participant over the past 40 years to win three Stanley Cups over his first six seasons within the NHL (2025 and 2024 w/ FLA and 2020 w/ TBL).
The Panthers grew to become simply the second workforce in NHL historical past – and the primary in 70 years – to have three gamers rating 5 or extra objectives in a single Stanley Cup Last, as Kootenay Ice (WHL) alumnus Sam Reinhart (7), Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) graduate Brad Marchand (6), and Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) standout Sam Bennett (5) every reached the mark throughout the championship collection.
Reinhart’s seven objectives within the Stanley Cup Last had been probably the most by any participant within the final 40 years and tied for the very best complete within the NHL’s growth period (since 1967), matching CHL legends Wayne Gretzky (Soo Greyhounds / OHL, 7 in 1985) and Mike Bossy (Laval Nationwide / QMJHL, 7 in 1982).
Marchand grew to become the primary participant in NHL historical past to attain 5 or extra objectives in a number of Stanley Cup Last collection with completely different groups. He additionally grew to become simply the third participant all-time – and the primary in over a century – to file 5 or extra street objectives in a single Last.
Paul Maurice marked the 14th event up to now 20 years {that a} coach with CHL ties (having both beforehand performed or coached within the CHL) has hoisted the Stanley Cup.
9 of the highest 11 scorers within the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs had been CHL alumni, together with McDavid, Draisaitl, Reinhart, Tkachuk, Evan Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers / London Knights – OHL), Verhaeghe, Bennett, Marchand, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers / Pink Deer Rebels – WHL).
Eight of the highest 9 aim scorers within the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs had been CHL alumni – together with every of the highest 5: Bennett, Reinhart, Draisaitl, Corey Perry (Edmonton Oilers / London Knights – OHL), and Marchand.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers had been two of 15 playoff groups to characteristic 10+ CHL alumni on their roster throughout the 2025 NHL postseason.
Full record of the ten CHL alumni who gained the Stanley Cup in 2025
Gamers are listed alongside the CHL membership they’ve performed probably the most video games with
Florida Panthers (10)
Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL), Aaron Ekblad (Barrie Colts / OHL), Jonah Gadjovich (Owen Sound Assault / OHL), A.J. Greer (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL), Seth Jones (Portland Winterhawks / WHL), Dmitry Kulikov (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), Brad Marchand (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL), Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice / WHL), Matthew Tkachuk (London Knights / OHL), Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara Ice Canines / OHL).
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