Who does the Stanley Cup get passed off to first?
A question often on every hockey fan’s mind once NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presents the trophy to a winning team’s captain. And following arguably the most high-stakes Final in recent memory, being one of the first to kiss the Cup was going to be an especially high honour on Monday night.
That glory went to none other than goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after he helped the Florida Panthers take Game 7, 2-1, over the Edmonton Oilers to capture the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup.
Panthers captain Alexsander Barkov handed the trophy to the 35-year-old for his lap around the Amerant Bank Arena rink, knowing the whole time net-minder would be up first.
“He deserves it,” Barkov, the longest-serving Panther said to Kyle Bukauskas post-game. “We had a lot of players who deserved it, but Bobby was the one.”
Bobrovsky, a 14-year veteran, had his ups and downs throughout his first nine years — split between Philadelphia and Columbus — and then the next five in South Florida. All of which were encompassed through the first six games in the Stanley Cup Final. A series that included a dominant, 32-save shutout in Game 1, but also a Game 4 performance in which he allowed five goals on 16 shots and got pulled.
But “Bob” stepped up when his team needed it most.
Facing the prospect of collapsing, after being up 3-0 in the series, the two-time All-Star managed to shut the door on the Oilers. Bobrovsky made 23 saves in Game 7, finishing with a .958 save percentage and allowing only one goal.
“True champions have to overcome adversity,” said the NHL’s No. 14 goaltender in wins all-time. “We lost three in a row, it wasn’t easy but we got together … I love those guys.”
Lifting the trophy, one year after falling short, capped off what’s sure to be a Hall of Fame resume for Bobrovsky.
Two-time Vezina trophy winner, 396 wins all-time and now Stanley Cup champion.
“It’s amazing,” Bobrovsky said. “I was dreaming all my life for that and here we are, I can’t believe it.”