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The Florida Panthers have won consecutive Stanley Cup titles and are in a good position for a three-peat. They brought back Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad despite salary cap constraints. The rest of their core is locked in place and is looking to become the first three-peat champs in North American sports since the 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers. The Panthers open their Stanley Cup defense on October 7 at home against the Chicago Blackhawks
The puck drops on October 7th with a tripleheader! 🤩 #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/sHUzUqp14c
— NHL (@NHL) July 14, 2025
The Panthers and Blackhawks start the opening night triple header at 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN in the US and Sportsnet in Canada. Then, the New York Rangers will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m., and the Colorado Avalanche will visit the LA Kings at 10:30. The tripleheader features just three playoff teams from last year, but does include some big stars like Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.
The Panthers opened last season at home against the Boston Bruins, winning that game 6-4. After raising their Stanley Cup banner, they got to work defending their title. They were 11-3-1 after a trip to Finland in November to play the Dallas Stars. They made the postseason, where they won the title again.
The Panthers will also host the Winter Classic for the first time this year, the NHL's annual outdoor game. They will take over LoanDepot Field, the home of the Miami Marlins, and host the Rangers. These matchups show a pattern for NHL scheduling: reward a successful team with a big spotlight against a team with a massive fanbase. The Panthers will have that twice this year.
The Panthers host Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks on opening night. Even with the former first-overall pick entering his third season, expectations are low in Chicago. Florida should have a comfortable first game to open their three-peat quest. The rest of the NHL schedule will be released on Wednesday.
