How many Stanley Cup winners do the Florida Panthers have in their squad?

The Florida Panthers currently have two players on their active roster who have experienced the thrill of lifting the Stanley Cup. Eric Staal and Carter Verhaeghe are the only members of the Panthers who possess this coveted accolade.

Staal, a seasoned veteran in the league, played a pivotal role in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to their first and only Stanley Cup victory during the 2006 postseason.

Demonstrating his exceptional skills, Staal emerged as a standout performer by leading all skaters in points and assists throughout the playoffs. His remarkable contributions undoubtedly played a crucial role in Carolina's championship triumph, etching his name in the team's history books.

On the other hand, Verhaeghe had the opportunity to celebrate a Stanley Cup victory much more recently. As a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Verhaeghe experienced the exhilaration of winning the first of two consecutive championships during the 2020 postseason.

The Lightning's back-to-back triumphs cemented their status as one of the league's dominant teams, and Verhaeghe was fortunate enough to be part of this exceptional achievement early in his career.

With Staal and Verhaeghe on their squad, the Florida Panthers possess a unique blend of experience and championship pedigree.

An unusual connection between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights

In an interesting overlap between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights, seven players have had the opportunity to don both team jerseys.

Among them are forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, who has not only played for both franchises but also appeared in playoff games for each team.

Marchessault, who led the Golden Knights in goals with an impressive 30, was selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. Smith, on the other hand, was part of the Florida Panthers from 2015-16 to 2016-17 and even led the team in points during the 2016 playoffs.

Reilly Smith, on the other hand, spent 162 regular-season games and six playoff games with the Panthers from 2015-16 to 2016-17 before being traded to the Golden Knights on June 21, 2017.

The unique connection between players from the two teams doesn't end there. Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart spent a significant portion of their careers as teammates on the Buffalo Sabres, skating together in 368 games from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

This makes them the seventh pair of players in the past fifty years to face each other in a Stanley Cup Final after playing over 350 regular-season games together.

The list includes notable duos such as Andrew Cogliano and Corey Perry in 2022, Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik in 2018, and Martin Brodeur and Petr Sykora in 2003.

Other players who have had stints with both teams include Nick Cousins. He played seven regular-season and 17 playoff games for the Golden Knights in the 2019-20 season.

Additionally, Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk, although not directly associated with the Panthers or Golden Knights, shared a connection as both played for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in 2013-14.