The Florida Panthers host the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday as they try to get back on track after the Olympic break. The Panthers trail the Boston Bruins by eight points for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-25-3 and 61 points. Even with this hill to climb, they are looking to emulate the 1980s New York Islanders and win three straight Stanley Cups.
The Panthers sent 10 players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy – were it not for a few key injuries, they would have sent an NHL record 13 players – and seven came home with hardware.
Bronze Medal: Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell
Finland rebounded from a devastating loss against Canada in the semifinals and took home the bronze medal after trouncing Slovakia 6-1. With a 2-1 lead heading into the third period and a chance to play for gold, a surge by Canada and a late penalty saw Finland fall 3-2.
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Luostarinen finished with four assists through six games. Lundell missed one game with an illness and finished with a goal and an assist through five games, while Mikkola had three assists through six games to help their nation win bronze.
Silver Medal: Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett
This was the biggest heartbreak of the Olympics. Canada lost the gold medal to their biggest rivals, 2-1 in overtime. Despite that, three Panthers are returning to Sunrise with a silver medal.
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Forward Sam Reinhart found the back of the net against Finland in the semifinal and added an assist through six games. Forward Brad Marchand tallied one assist through four games. Forward Sam Bennett finished with an assist through five games. They all made an impact during the tournament, despite their low offensive totals.
Gold Medal: Matthew Tkachuk
A dream 46 years in the making became an Olympic reality for the United States in Milan. New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner to give Team USA its first gold medal at the Olympics since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid.
The celebration landed at nightclub E11EVEN in Miami, Florida, possibly Matthew Tkachuk‘s attempt to recruit some new teammates. This celebration was decided after the team had to redirect their flight from New York to Miami due to the recent storms that hit the East Coast. The team was then honored with a visit to the White House for the State of the Union Address.
Tkachuk finished the tournament with six assists through six games and a plus-5 rating. After the USA’s overtime loss to Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, this was the sweetest revenge for them.
It’s Time to Focus on Getting Back to the Playoffs
The NHL season resumed on Wednesday, but the Panthers don’t play until tonight when they host the Maple Leafs (who visited the Tampa Bay Lightning last night). With 25 games left on the schedule, there’s next to no room for error. While hope may be fading for them to return to the postseason, these Panthers Olympians should help propel their team up the standings with the experience they earned and the success they had in Milan.
