Florida Panthers media day transcripts except only the parts I thought were important Except I'm scared that everything will end up being important so it's almost the entire interviews. Will rb with more if/when they come out.
9/17/25 | preseason media day
Bill Zito
Bill, this team has an identity, itās been established. We know it. We talk about āPanthers hockeyā all the time. But each year, thereās a different message or feeling around the team. I know you just got here, you just got the group back together, but now that youāve spoken to Paul, youāve seen the guys, do you kind of already know what that is going into this year?
Yeah, and itās, umā¦ appreciation, thanks, humility. Weāre so appreciative for everything weāve been able to experience over the last few years, and we have to get better. Thereās so many things that we can improve on. I donāt know, should we put a carpet in here for better sound? I donāt know! Iām making it up, right? But as soon as we start saying, āWell! Youāve won it a couple times!ā ā pounding our chestsā¦ weāre not pounding our chests at all. Itās a new season. Itās day one, and this is its own distinct and unique journey. So for us, I was talking to Paul, and it was kind of, like, yeah, we were really blessed, and we had success, and we worked hard. But thereās a humility that comes with that, with the understanding that, we could not make the playoffs. Itās so hard to win in this league. But if you can balance the humility with the confidence you have because you did do some things right, well those two things then ā humility and confidence is grace, and then once you have the grace, now you can ā Iām not talking about spiritual grace. Maybe, but ā now you can move forward as a team. ā¦ I donāt think that weāre a feat. I donāt think weāre better than we are. Weāre humble, and hungry, and thatās who we are.
With the injuries weāve hadā¦ the opportunity thatās gonna provide forā¦ some spots to open up. What are you hoping to see from some of these guys who now maybe have some chances that they may not have thought they may have had coming into camp?
One of the blessings that you guys have seen with our group is, coach can deploy players up and down the lineup with, kind of, what other players he wants in whatever situations. Youāve seen any number of players have success playing with Sasha. And then you might have a guy whoās gone from playing with Sasha to the fourth line. And so now, not only do we have opportunities for example, for Luke Kunin or Tyler Motte in camp, but they ā we have a chance to play them to their strengths as well. Itās not just one hole, āOh, we have to fit someone here on fourth line right wing,ā for example. That man might be better suited to play third line left wing. Alright, weāll just move it around. And I think those interchangeable parts are a big part of winning and also of getting opportunity for those guys, as you said.
What kind of excitement level have you noticed from these guys ā¦ over the course of the past couple weeks, to get back to work, to get back to the challenge of the olā threepeat?
The excitement levels, itās interesting because some of the guys have been here, and spent summers here, and some of the scuttlebutt around the room is, āIām in better shape now than I was before.ā Because of the time frame, you didnāt really dip and then have to recover, so you could dip a little bit and then keep improving and getting better. It was more than just casual conversation, I think there was some excitement surrounding that. I just saw Sam Reinhart, and Iāve seen him a couple times, but I havenāt really talked to him. I said, āI havenāt even really visited. How was your summer? Did you get enough time off?ā Heās like, āOh yeah. Ready to go.ā And I think you guys probably feel it, too. Itās exciting to be back. Seasonās starting. This is training camp! Itās a wonderful feeling, and I think everybodyās pretty excited to be playing hockey.
One thing that coach mentioned last year was, he really didnāt have to get after the guys, because they came in self-motivated, wanting to be better, even coming off of winning a Cup. How would you describe the ownership that these players always take and how much that drives the success of what theyāve been able to do over the past couple of seasons?
Itās humbling to watch, itās really fun to be a part of, and it makes you want to be better individually. If I go back and I think of Patric Hƶrnqvist when he first arrived, and his physical preparation, his mental preparation, his emotional preparation ā and then his social, about pulling people in and being part of it. And then as we evolved, we have so many people who are focused on being as good as they can be. And I think thatās the best part, is that they all want to see. And in tandem with that, I donāt think they want to let each other down.
Bob is obviously as peak Bob as I guess he could be at his age and this point in his career. He has some, I guess we could call them understudies, that he can basically mold into ā how interested are you in seeing the dynamic of those guys working with Bob and learning from somebody like him?
I think itās wonderful, I think itās great for Tarasov to be able to come in, and this is obviously someone he goes way back with. I think, to be honest, itās not just the goalies that Bob inspires and helps and tutors, if you will. Itās how he goes about his business, how he is as a human, how he treats others, his work ethic, obviously. His effect, while obviously could be special on a young goalie, it transcends that and it helps everybody. Heās a wonderful, wonderful player to have in the room, because itās just somebody else to help you get better.
You might not like this one, Iām gonna askyou to talk about yourself for a second. The bold move, first, to come here in 2020. You make a bold move trading for Matthew Tkachuk, Jonathan Huberdeau was a fan favorite here, then thereās been kind of a series of bold moves along the way that have helped you build this. Where does that come from? Where does that nature to take risks, and really have no fear with that?
ā¦ Lack of intelligence. [Laughter.] ā¦ Sometimes, in the process of making decisions, particularly in professional sports, weāre all privy to processes and information that others are not. So ā whatās a famous steakhouse, someone? Ruthās Chris. Show up and they say, āWe donāt have any steaks, weāre serving fish.ā Like, thatās pretty bold. āNo, we literally donāt have steaks, so weāre serving fish to try to make money to pay our employees.ā And then everybody loves you. It works. Great! Thereās no more steaks at Ruthās Chris, they make more money on fish. Well, you didnāt know that they didnāt have any steak.
Iām making this all up, this is a bad example. But sometimes that which you think might be bold, isnāt. But I can assure what it is is part of a process, our decisionmaking process. We donāt wing it. When we entertain pretty much any of the major decisions, certainly all of the player acquisition, itās almost a mental and emotional checklist. It does not exist on a piece of paper, but a process through evaluation, debate, reconsideration, comparing and contrasting sort of the āartā of scouting versus the analytics. Doing background checks on people, who they are, as best we can. Not real background checks, but, āHey, you played with so-and-so in Chicago, what kind of guy are they?ā Usually, youāre one person removed from almost anybody in the NHL. So that process yields generally positive results, and itās hard. Iāve talked a lot of time about our pro scouting meetings that are probably inappropriate and very contentious. I believe conflict is good, and it is. Itās really healthy conflict where, like our hockey team, scouts want to get it right. So they say what they really feel, independent of being, you wanna, āIām the guy who found Tkachuk.ā No, youāre not. Itās us, itās we. I think, from that process, from that viewpoint, if I have to look at those processes, the bold might be in sticking to those processes and making sure that when we do it, we give ourselves the best chance to make the best decisions.
Speaking of process, when you hoist the Stanley Cup again, did you believe that there was a good chance that Ekblad, Marchand, and Bennett would all be here at this training camp?
Yes.
ā¦ Could you elaborate?
[Laughter.] Yes, I believed they would all, like ā you guys are around it. You see the community, you see the facility, you see how we go about our business, how we try to be better. You see what Addy [Communications VP Adelyn Biedenbach] and her group do for you guys thatās distinctly different from some other places around the league. Trying to be better, trying to give everyone a chance to be as good as they can be. Enjoying each other. Enjoying the process and the team. When all those factors come together, I believe that they believed. And itās them. I said this before, itās them. Itās not me. They call could have gotten more money somewhere else, but they decided they wanted to be Florida Panthers. Makes me feel good. It should make all you guys feel good, too, because itās because of everybody.
That sort of folds into what I was going to ask. Itās rare for a team to win two in a row and have a chance to go for three, but itās even more rare for the whole team to come back, basically. ā¦ How proud are you that the architecture of this youāve been able to keep together?
Oh, we havenāt played yet. [Laughter.] No, I see it as thankful and appreciative. That at least, when we come to work every day and we do our best, and weāll fail, and then try to be better, and weāve covered that we have a community of players who understand that not only for us but between and among each other and our coaches. And they want to be part of something. That, to me, is really special, and itās a blessing to come to work ā even on the bad days! Even we have a couple losses, come to work and weāre happy. Come to work, and weāre, I think, appreciative. Sincerely, I have all these clichĆ©s and catchphrases that we use too much, but itās real, and I think it resonates through every player in that room.
How has the change been from being a franchise thatās trying to create sustained success, to now being a model franchise within the NHL? How have you seen other colleagues or, you know, pro sports are a copycat league, try to model what you guys are doing here in South Florida, if theyāre able to? I donāt know, I wasnāt here. No ā I donāt look at it that way. When I interviewed, I said, āIt needs to be a destination franchise. How is this not?ā Right? So what do people like? Well, they like ā something for everybody, thereās a lifestyle for single guys, for families, thereās schools, thereās of course the weather, South Florida rabid sports fans. The facilities, the support of the Violas, and that canāt be understated. When you have a boss who says, āThereās no consequence for failure,ā thatās pretty empowering. And who then follows that up with guidance through the process, āDid you consider this,ā or acts as a sounding board, and then provides us the resources to go out and do the things that we need to do, like this facility. So ā¦ weāre charged with winning, and that obviously is paramount. But I think in order to win, we have to do all those other things that you might be alluding to that sort of create the ability to say we hope to have a destination franchise. And we still have so much to improve on and so much to get better, all of us. And I think as soon as we lose sight of that, weāre sunk, but we wonāt, because everybody wants to keep going, everybody wants to be better, and everybodyās appreciative.
Like you said, youāve built a palace of a facility here, and there is the lifestyle and the schools and the weather, and all those things. ā¦ Paulās gonna kill these guys for the next week. You donāt play an easy brand of hockey. It is an incredibly demanding style of hockey. And guys still ā itās hard, to be a Panther, I guess, and people might lose sight of that given the palace thatās here and all those things. Why do they wanna play this hard brand? I know hockey players are different by nature, but the guys who are here and have to go through this, and blocking shots and just the physicality and all those things, they donāt leave. What does that say about the overall culture, that you could go somewhere and play a much easier style and make kind of the same money or more in a lot of cases?
Winning. They want to give themselves a chance to win. Itās intoxicating, itās something that if you work in this sport, itās in your blood, for the most part, and you ā¦ you donāt want to win, you have to win. And in tandem with that is, that hate to lose. Everybody likes to win, itās really fun! But are you willing to pay the price ācause, āI canāt stand losing, I canāt stand not doing as good a job as I think I could. I canāt stand not improving.ā Itās just, itās how theyāre wired.
The track record here of finding players that not only excel here but just fit is well established. Could you talk a little bit about, go back to ā21 at the trade deadline when you get Sam Bennett, ā22 at the draft when you get Reinhart? What did you see in Bennett and Reinhart that you thought, āGotta have these guys, these guys are gonna flourish,ā or was it a little bit of a gamble?
Both of them, remember how high they were picked in the draft. So if you work in management in the NHL, it doesnāt even matter, we didnāt have any picks, but still had the book on the top ten guys for sure. Itās actually more than that, butā¦ so their abilities were well-known. Their upside, anyway. And when you scouted them, and you looked, and you saw they both had character, they played hard, they were smart. Sam was up and down ā oh, sorry, theyāre both Sams. Benny was up-and-down throughout the lineup, Sam Reinhart was more of a consistent top-6 presence. But all of those attributes in tandem with their upside, and then the character checks out. So for our process, thatās how we go about finding those players. Itās no different than Carter or Tyler Motte in camp. It was the same process that we used for everybody.
Did you just think they would be able to unlock something, though? I mean, obviously Benny was playing fourth-line wing, and you moved him to second-line center, Reinhart, you gave him more of a consistent role.
I donāt think that we judge or evaluate players based on a single experience in a single franchise and how that player would currently be utilized in a season. To suggest we āunlockā something, I donāt know. We traded for a player we thought was good who could help us, and we put him in where we thought he would help us somewhere. We thought he might flourish. I think thatās ā if I have to say that Iām proud of something, itās that most of the players who have come here have had the best years of their career. Because Paul has the meeting with them, and you guys have heard about this, and says, āI need you to make mistakes. I need you to really screw up. A doozy. Yep. And then recover from it because, okay, you made a bad pass, we lost. Weāll be okay. Weāll be alright.ā But what it does is it allows them to be the best players they can be, and then he utilizes them in a position to succeed. If you put me in the NBA and say, āOkay, youāre our starting center,ā I have no chance. Maybe you put me on the outside and I can shoot a three, who knew. Paulās ability, and actually the roomās ability, to support it ā and I mentioned that it kind of started with Vinny [Viola]. Thereās no consequence for failure, so, yeah, youāre gonna screw up. But letās put you in a position to succeed based on your skillset to the extent we can, and move forward. And thatās what we do.
Have you looked at teams that have had your type of success and what they go through the next year, and whether you have or not, what do you think would be the biggest challenge, or some of the challenges for you, beyond the competition?
I read a lot of books. I read up on the different, sort of, whether it was Pat Rileyās books orā¦ how do I forget this guyās nameā¦ Bill Walsh has a book on how to run a sports franchise. Itās a lot of fun to read. He has it down, like, what time your meals are, curfew times and how to deal with someone whoās late for curfew. Itās a pretty complete book, and I donāt even think you can buy it, someone gifted it to me. Itās pretty neat. But we didnāt really look around. We just knew that if we put our processes in, and we believe and we trust in each other, it will be okay. Weāre blessed that we have players who, I donāt even think buy-in is the right word. They just, they live it. And you have people of the character and consideration to others like Sasha ā all of them! All of the guys. Like, I remember, was it three seasons ago, the Staal brothers at their exit meetings said to Paul and I, āWeāve never been on a team where nobody complained. About anything.ā Pizza after the game wasnāt there, the bus is late, the plane went to the wrong city ā I donāt know what it is, Iām making it up. Not a complaint. And then Paul, āIāve never coached a team where nobody came to my office and asked about ice time.ā Canāt be. But with those guys, it is.
Aleksander Barkov
Itās seven-year anniversary of you being named captain of the Panthers. Congrats. Looking back, obviously so much has happened in that time, the wins, the Cups, everything, and the room thatās been built in there with you and your alternate captains as well. What has, over this time, being captain of the Panthers meant to you?
A lot. Actually, I get to talk about it a little bit before, and obviously first year I was kind of like, thinking, what should I do now, should I be more vocal, should I be doing this and that. I decided I just want to be myself and just try and be example. Iām never gonna be the most vocal guy in the room or anywhere else, and so thatās kind of how I was and how Iāve been. Obviously, I learned more and more every single year. But having a team like that supporting me and helping me with everything, and adding more pieces every single year, like Chucky came in, he was a big leader right away, vocal, setting really good example on the ice. Like Reino, Marchy, all these guys. Ekkyās been with me for a long time, so we have great team, and itās been a lot of fun being part of this.
If you win one Cup, thatās historic, obviously. When you win twoā¦ you have the chance to do something very, very rare. How much is that on your minds, knowing that you have not just the opportunity to win this year, which is the goal, but to do something that very few franchises have done?
Thatās our goal every single year. Every team that comes after the summer, their goal is to win the Stanley Cup, and same with us. We know we won last year, two years ago. We know that, but every year is different, and I think it just doesnāt change for us, that we come in and we want to win. We want to win the Stanley Cup again, and itās not about defending the Cup, itās just winning. Of course, we donāt want to win the Stanley Cup today, and weāre not going to win it today. We have to work for it every single day from now on for, whatever, 300 more days, until thereās a chance to win it. So thatās our mindset. We just come in, and every single day, we put in the work toward that goal.
We havenāt had a chance to talk to you since everything happened on July 1. When Bennett re-signs, when Ekblad re-signs, when Marchand re-signs, when you see that Zito was able to keep all three, what was your reaction? How does it feel to see that you guys have all except for, I think, two guys who were on the ice for that Cup clincher back for this year?
Honestly, I think it was never a doubt that they will sign. In my mind, I just thought, itās just gonna take some time, but theyāll be back, and thatās probably what everyone thought. Really happy. Really happy that theyāre back. Theyāre crucial pieces of this organization moving forward, and to have them for a long time here is amazing. Those were great times and great moments, and to get to read about that, that theyāre gonna stay, it was great.
Zito talked about how training campās gonna be a little different for you guys, the veterans, are going to be getting an extra week before the group sessions. ā¦ How much do you embrace the extra time before everything really starts picking up for you?
Yeah, I mean, itās good. We all know we need to work hard. Itās not a week off, itās not an extra week off. We still come in, we still have to do that stupid bike test. But itās great, we get to work on the things that we maybe donāt get to work during the season, and thatās just one extra week of doing that, and thatās about it. Weāve been skating, everyone is back already, and weāve been skaking together for a while already, and it just feels like we just going to keep continuing doing that.
Is that what youāre looking forward to least, going to that bike test
Every year. No, I was just kidding, obviously itās also been big part of the coming in, in this team, you have to go all-out on that bike test, and it kind of sets the tone for the training camp. Of course it was a joke, so donāt take it too seriously.
You mention all the additions that Zito has brought in over the years ā¦ as a captain, how much easier is it for you to walk in on day one, and you know almost the entire team? Theyāre all coming back together, specifically this team from last yearā¦ how easy is that transition period going into the next season?
It just feels like itās just continuing from last season, because almost everyone is back. Thatās a great part of it. I donāt think itās ever been like that during my time here. Thereās always been some kind of change, some kind of five to six players always leaving. Here, it wasnāt that much, so itās great. You walk into the room, like you said, everyoneās same faces. Couple new guys, which is also easier for them to come in and feels like theyāve been part of it already, for a long time.
Barky, obviously Chuckyās out for a bit here, but you look in that room, and yourself, Reinhart, Verhaeghe, all the names youāve already listed, just how equipped is this team to weather the storm ātil heās back, just given all the talent you have in there?
Well, Chucky, you canāt replace that type of hockey player and person in the team. I think itās just, everyone in the room just need to step up little bit more and play better and be better, but obviously you canāt replace that type of guy in any way. Weāll be happy when heās gonna come back, hopefully very soon.
Sasha, in the twelve years youāve been here, do you remember a moment where things started to maybe flip, where you started to feel like this could be a destination, a championship franchise, destination, and then how proud are you to have helped guide this franchise along the way like that?
To me, I feel like maybe itās just me, but every year itās been kind of progress, little progress, towards that. Obviously, a lot of players, management, have changed throughout those years. But I feel like every year weāve been taking steps towards the right direction, and it was just matter of time when we become a team or organization who have a really good chance to win and to be a very successful team. Itās been like that for a long time now, like winning organization, and like you guys say, destination. Right now, I donāt really think about it, just have a lot of fun and enjoy every single day.
Mackie Samoskevich might have an expanded role, at least in the first half of this season. What did you see from him last year, in his first full year in the NHL, and are you excited to see a number 11 back on the ice?
With Mackie, itās been a lot of fun, watching him develop since his day one in the organization. Even right now, in those skates, I donāt know how, but he got faster, he got stronger. He has the skill, he has the shot, he has the playmaking ability, and that kind of stuff, but physically he looks outstanding out there. Iām really excited to watch him, and must be the number.
Aaron Ekblad
How great is it not only to be back, but being back in a place that youāre familiar with, and not having to purchase a moving truck to go somewhere else?
Yeah, you said it. Itās as good as it gets. Iām extremely happy, very excited, could potentially be a Florida Panther for nineteen years, if all goes smoothly. Iām honored, Iām very proud of the time Iāve spent here and what weāve been able to accomplish, and weāll be able to do a lot more in the next eight years, hopefully.
That said, coming into last year, Iām sure that was a weight on your shoulder that maybe you didnāt want to admit throughout the year, the contract stuff. How great is it to just have that off your shoulders and just play hockey?
Thereās something to be said about that weight, too, and placing that on yourself. I honestly want to continue with that pressure of not letting my foot off the gas pedal, so to say. I liked it, I enjoyed it. It wasnāt a bad thing. I think it was a good thing for me and my career, and Iāll be continuing to put that pressure on myself daily.
Most players go through what youāre going through this year one time. You were able to experience all this last year. How much does that help, having already negotiated a short offseason, a season after winning the Cup, a season of celebration ā how much does that help now with the process starting from now, mentally and physically?
Yeah, experience counts. On the ice, off the ice, in these situations, in playoff runs. I think it helps tremendously. This one has felt extremely short. Iām not sure if itās the five or six weddings I had to go to this summer, but it might have been a little bit of that. A lot of traveling and whatnot. Iām happy to have been here now for at least a couple, two, three, four weeks, but to be able to go through it before, the experience definitely counts in this situation.
Do you diversify the gifts when you go to a half dozen weddings, or is there a standard one that you just kind of go to?
Oh, yeah, just a thousand a head cash, get it done, be done with it. Yeah, no. You know what, I think I got Benny some bottles of wine, so that was about all that was different from most.
What sense of security does that give you, knowing you can be without some key guys and still find ways?
Most of the time itās me!
I wasnāt going there, but okay ā
[Laughter.] Yeah, so Iāll have to take some tips from the guys on how to deal with that, not having guys in the lineup. Weāve done it plenty of times before. We have an extremely deep team, which is really nice. We feel like weāll be able to compete with or without them, but obviously excited to get them back, as soon as they can.
You mentioned how much time you could potentially be here, 19 years. Youāve seen some really, really good times, and some rocky times. What has it been like to experience the transformation, especially, did you ever envision the chance of winning back-to-back Stanley Cups here?
Thereās always the hope, but you never know if itāll become reality, and looking back on it now, itās hard to believe that you didnāt know it was going to happen. Weāre extremely proud of what weāve built here. Itās been an incredible journey, and to be a part of it from the very beginning is special, and Iāll hold onto that forever.
Last year, when you guys came into camp, the talk was, āHey, letās do it again. Why not? Why not us?ā kind of thing. Whatās the attitude this year? Is there talk about, I mean, everybodyās going to be talking threepeat. Are you guys talking about it internally, or is it just off to the side?
I mean, weāre always going to talk about it. And I felt like we talked about it, whether it was in the media or in the room, quite often when we were talking about last year and trying to do it again. I donāt think thereās any reason to shy away from it. Thatās our goal, and weāre gonna fight for that goal every day. I think itās better to talk about it than be anxious and hiding it. Itās what we want to do, so weāre going to go get it.
Piggybacking off that, the last six teams to go back-to-back have failed in their quest for a threepeat. The last to do it was the Islanders in the 80s. The idea of lore, and being in the history books and NHL, and forty years from now, you being the last team potentially to win three in a row. Are you aware or cognizant of where this team, this group, would be in NHL history should you accomplish the next one?
Absolutely. Thatās something weāve definitely thought about. You could go down in all-time history as one of the great teams. Thatās a driving factor. At the end of the day, there are things you can control, and weāre pretty damn good at controlling them, but thereās things you canāt, like health and luck and whatnot. Weāre gonna do the best we can as a team to do as much damage as we can.
Since weāre on the subject, what are the challenges you guys are going to have to threepeat beyond health, beyond a good team rising up on the other side. I mean internally, have you thought about this, and what do you think will be the challenges?
Yeah, I think mentally, for sure. Weāve played in a Stanley Cup final game 7, weāve played in back-to-back finals ā sorry, in three finals in a row. Thereās a lot of mental fatigue that comes with that, and you donāt feel that fatigue in the playoffs, in my opinion. You might feel it in the middle of the season, in the dog days. Itās important I think, those mental hurdles are going to be the most difficult, but nothing we havenāt experienced before, so I feel good about the way our team can navigate it.
This year, there will be dog days, obviously, but last year there was Four Nations, this year for a lot of guys on this team, hopefully you, too, thereās going to be an Olympics. How much can that carrot in the middle of a season alleviate those dog days?
Certainly, a heavy motivator is trying to play for that Olympic team, and thatās gonna be an extreme focus for me. Itās something that I take with me, I heard Marchand say it the other day, itās something he takes with him into the gym every day. I have the same mindset, and would love to make that team, and thatās definitely going to be a motivating factor on a Wednesday night back-to-back, thereās no doubt about it. And I think itās okay to use that. I feel good about using that. You can draw on anything for a motivating factor in the tough times during a season.
Sam Bennett
Sam, what did you learn last year about what it takes to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, and what do you hope that you guys can take from that as you go in for an attempt to threepeat?
I learned it wasnāt easier than the first time. If anything, it was harder. Just knowing that and preparing for that, of how hard itās going to be to win again, I think just that experience is going to be great for our group. And obviously having so many guys from last year and the previous year as well, all that experience is going to do nothing but help us.
Does the start of this season feel similar to the start of [last] season, or does each year seem like it has its own unique identity when you kick things off?
I think itās got a similar feel right now, to last year, but every seasonās different. Thereās going to be different challenges, different injuries, and whatever else is going to come our way. Iām sure weāre going to have a lot of different challenges, but I think we know that weāre not going to have any easy games. Teams are going to be ready for us this year, and every game, weāre going get the teamās best game. I think thatās going to help us, thatās going to help us make sure weāre not getting complacent at all, and being prepared for every night. Itās going to be a challenge this year, but this team is certainly ready for it.
Considering that you, Aaron, and Brad, were all in the last year of your contracts, how much did you guys discuss it together, the prospect of, āOkay, weāre all not bleeping leaving,ā basically?
We talked about it, we obviously ā all of our goals was to stay with Florida and be here for as long as we could, but we didnāt know how it was gonna get done. We never talked numbers or anything like that, but we talked about, āHey, how incredible would it be if all three of us got to stay?ā We didnāt know it was possible. Iām still just in awe that it got done, but itās pretty amazing that we all got to come back here, and I think we all realized how special this group is, and we know we have the chance to do something special here for quite awhile. Everyone wants to be a part of that, and you can just tell by the willingness for everyone to try and stay here.
Last year, you guys had a couple months without Chucky on the ice. Heās going to be out a couple months to start this year. What didyou learn about what this team can still do without him healthy, and what does he do to keep himself involved in the day-to-day action when heās not on the ice every night?
Not having Chucky for a couple months is never a great thing. Heās a huge part of this team, not only as an incredible player but as a leader. But heās one of the best at staying upbeat, staying positive, staying around the guys. Heās always in the locker room chirping the guys and doing some pranks and whatever. Heās a really important part of this group, so weāre going to have to step up, and guys are going to have to step up for the first couple of months while heās out, but thereās a lot of good players on this team, so we certainly have a lot of depth to try and fill that hole as much as we can.
On that note, Sam, you had some real good chemistry ā¦ with Mackie Samoskevich last year. If it winds up being heās on one of your wings, how excited are you for him, and what do you think his ceiling is?
Yeah, Iām really excited. Iām really hopeful that Iām playing with him to start the year. Even in the skates weāve had the last couple of practices, I think everyoneās been in, like, āMackie looks really good right now.ā He looks great, heās flying out there, and his ceiling is ā I donāt even know where it is. Heās an incredible player, and I think once he really realizes how good he can be, itās going to make him that much better of a player. Iām excited to hopefully get to play with him and watch his game grow this year, because I think itās going to be a really good year for him.
Sergei Bobrovsky
This offseason, the Panthers added [Daniil] Tarasov. How excited are you to be in that with him this season, you have a little history going back to Russia with his family.
Yeah, itās knd of like a unique situation. I follow his dad, his dad was my idol, and now I play with his son when Iām older guy. Itās a unique situation and Iām excited, so excited to be with him, to help him, and just help him develop his game. Both of us gonna trying to help team to win the games.
For you, how was your offseason, what did you do, did you change anything up routine-wise, or how did you handle ā especially now that youāve had a third consecutive short offseason, how do you approach those to make sure youāre ready when everything starts up tomorrow?
I had a good summer. I was focused on the mental side of it. My goal was to clean everything up, to clear everything up and get ready for the season, and especially mentally, to be excited, to be fresh, and not thinking much about hockey. I thought I did a good job with it. I felt like the summer was so long for me, and Iām so excited to be back. Iām so excited to see everybody, the guys, coaches. Iām so excited to be here in this facility, locker room, everything. Iām hungry and happy and appreciated for the situation that in front of us.
Have you thought about your future and how much longer you want to play and how much longer you want to keep doing this?
I feel good. Physically, mentally, I feel Iām in my prime, and Iām happy and excited about that, too. As far as, about the future, I donāt think much, to be honest. Again, Iām happy to be here, and it doesnāt really matter for this moment what happens after this season. Iām excited, Iām in a great team, with the great people surround me, and I just wanted to take the whole advantage of this moment and donāt think much about future or past.
You guys are in the exact same situation as a year ago. How much does that help, having already done this once, being the defending champions and now doing that again?
The experience definitely helps, but we start from zero again. Itās going to be a process. We have to, there will be lost of challenges, we have to overcome them together. We have to bring ā we have to get together again and build the chemistry, and all that stuff. And again, itās exciting part, there is a good team still, that weāre gonna play against, and good players. Lots of things has to come together, and we know that, weāre excited about that, and right now, itās about the, get back and start training, and start building that chemistry and building that belief that we can do it again.
To get to the level youāre at, is there anything you had to learn? Anything in particular you can really put to words, over the years, what you had to learn to reach this level?
Itās a process, so I been in hockey long time. You learn, you live, you learn. Sometimes, maybe the worst part of your, when itās feels like your worst or lowest, maybe itās best for you. And one thing that you have to do, you have to belief. Iām religion person, Iām Orthodox, I believe in God, and I do believe that everything happens for good. There is sometimes, it looks like itās over, but you have to believe and make the next step and just be humble, work, and be honest. You have some control, but not all of the control, so thatās why you have to believe in the process you are in. And sometimes itās, you donāt know. Thatās why itās so important to be in the moment, to be in this day, and fully appreciate what you have in your hands, and donāt think much about everything else.
You talk about the excitement of getting back after spending the summer trying to mentally get away from hockey. When you think about getting back, and when youāre back here, what makes you most excited?
I would say everything. Everything about the ā I not trying to think about the highlights, you know. I like the routine. I like the simple things, to do them over and over and find the fun part in it. Just the little details, trying to polish them. And as you said, itās putting the gear on, being around with the guys, little jokes, get my before practice routine warm up and all stuff, cooldown. Everything, I would say, itās just the professional hockey player thatās makes me excited.
Youāve always had a good relationship with your backups or co-goalies. With Tarasov, how much have you guys worked out together, and what are you thinking that ā he kind of, some bumps in the road in his NHL career with Columbus. How do you think that heās gonna fit in here with Florida, and how well do you think you guys are going to work together?
Yeah, heās a good goalie. He got the good size, he got the good reflexes, he reads the game well. I think he gonna have a good time here. Team is good in front of him, and again, Iāll also looking forward to build our relationship. Because one is the story of with dad and him, and then other thing is to build the really working relationship. And thatās so important, especially I feel like itās a big thing for the team to see that both goalies are have a good relationships, we are there for the team and the guys.
Do you have a target number of games that you would like to play this year to be in the best possible condition for the playoffs?
I always wanted to play all of them. I been this way whole my life, but I learn to listen the people, too, like Tally [Rob Tallas] did a great job with it. I give him big credit for how he manage me, with the rest and the workload. I wish I can play them all, but heās a very good specialist to know how to do it, whatās better, how to plan it proper way. I focus only one moment at a time, one day at a time, but he look at the big picture and he help with it a lot.
Brad Marchand
Looking at the time here so far, what stands out about the organization and excites you about the future?
What really stood out to me about the organization was just their dedication to wanting to be the best. I was really impressed coming in with their attention to detail in everything that they do. You never question any decision, you can see that itās always in the best interest of the team or the players to try and help them win, to try to put them in the best position to succeed. You can just tell that theyāre going above and beyond to make sure that the team has every asset available to them, every position, everyone in every position just seems like theyāre the best at what they do. Thereās a complete buy-in through the whole organization to want to have success and to succeed. Itās impressive coming in and seeing that.
When we asked Bill Zito about bringing you back, bringing Bennett and Ekblad back, he didnāt take any credit. He said it was all you guys that made that happen. How would you describe your mentality, the approach to that process, and why it was so important to remain a Florida Panther?
It completely comes at the hands of Bill and the ownership. Itās nice of him to say that, but itās not true. Heās the one that made that happen, the ownershipās the one that made it all happen. The way that they were able to make it all work, with everyone coming back, was pretty impressive. I honestly didnāt think there was a chance of it happening, I did not expect to be a Panther this year, if Iām being completely honest. I just didnāt think that it could work with everybody. So the fact that they were able to make it work, when Bill called and told me that he wanted to make it work, I was ecstatic. I wanted to be part of this group, and I loved every second of being here after I got traded. But Iām a realistic person, and when I look at it and I look at the cap position and everything, I just didnāt think it was possible. But Iām extremely happy that not only I was able to be here, butā¦ Benny and Ekky were two of the guys that I got closest with on the team, so I was thrilled that they were coming back. I think one of the things that you look at the group, weāre gonna be together for a long time. It feels incredible as a player to know that youāre gonna be a part of a group thatās gonna be competing every year to win a Stanley Cup.
Were you equally surprised that ā there was speculation you were gonna take one year, two year, whatever ā the fact that you got a six-year commitment from here that would take you, I think, to forty-two? Three? Something like that.
Well, I mean, there was speculation, but I was never gonna take a one- or two-year deal, even a three-year deal. That just wasnāt in the cards. I had a goal of what I wanted to be. I wanted to play as long as I could, and that was the goal that I had in the summer. Itās part of why it didnāt work out in Boston ā itās the main reason it didnāt work out in Boston. So all that speculation around it, you call a spade a spade, if we were not in a non-tax state, it wouldnāt have worked out probably for two guys. Two guys probably would have been leaving in that situation. So thatās a benefit this team has, we were able to utilize and make work. But Iām thrilled to be here for the next six years, and like I said ā Iāve said this before, itās a gift to play in this league. Itās a privilege, itās not a given, and when itās done, itās done, you never get to do it again. One of my coaches early on told me, and Iāll forever live by that, I wanna play ātil I get kicked out of the league. Itās hard to walk away from this, itās all Iāve ever known and all Iāve ever wanted to do, and Iāve always felt like itād be an injustice to my younger self, the one that always hoped and dreamed to be in the NHL, to walk away from it before I couldnāt play anymore. That was the goal, to make sure I could play as long as I could, and very honored and proud and thankful that the Violas and Billy gave me that opportunity.
On the no-tax thing, was that prevalent in your negotiations, and do you think that that is as big of a deal as some people like to make it seem?
Yeah, it is. Itās absolutely a benefit to, okay, I mean, for instance if you go to a Canadian team, it needs to be 15% more on a contract to be the same as what it is here. Does it matter for every player? No. But if youāre now dealing ā now, with the contracts youāre looking at, itās absolutely going to take place, or itās gonna be something that you look at. It wasnāt, probably, as big of a factor back when some teams werenāt as competitive or werenāt run as well, ācause that is the main thing. You care about the hockey, you care about the organization. Youāre not gonna walk into a non-tax state if the teamās not run well, or if theyāre a bad team, but thatās just not the case anymore. These non-tax state teams are some of the best-run teams in the league, so theyāre the teams you want to play for, just because of the ownership and the management, and how they approach the day-to-day game. You want to be a part of that, and theyāre all contending teams now. So when you look at the teams that you want to play for, theyāre great organizations now, theyāre great contending teams, and theyāre the best places to live, and then you add the non-tax on top of it, itās an opportunity for teams to look at, okay, you can pay some of the best players in the game couple million dollars left, and they still net more money than the highest-tax state teams, and theyāre able to spread that around and bring more players in. You canāt say itās not a benefit, it absolutely is, but itās not on every contract, itās not for every player. But now with the way that theyāre all contending teams, guys are just willing to take less to come here and be part of it and have a great lifestyle.
You talked about the privilege of playing in the NHL, savoring it. I remembered in the playoffs last year you said, as things were going on, you kind of regret not doing more of that throughout your career. Now as you kick off year one of six with the Panthers, how are things going to be different for you in that aspect?
Yeah, I just try not to take things as serious. Thereās a time and place where you gotta enjoy and not think that itās the end of the world when games donāt go your way or youāre maybe not performing at your best. Obviously, thereās a way to work through that and thereās a time and place to focus on it, but a lot of times Iāll let it consume my whole life at home, and you take that burden home with you or into other areas of your life, and it just weighs on you. Trying to have fun. I think guys could see throughout the run last year, and even here now, I think I just got to have fun with things a lot more and enjoy every moment, ācause you donāt know when youāre gonna have moments like we had last year and how long this stuff can last. Yeah, just trying to embrace it, have fun with it. For me, itās a lot of joking around and kind of having fun with things like that, but obviously thereās a time and place to work and compete, and I think thatās one of the greatest things about this group. Theyāre an incredibly hardworking team, which allows you to have a lot more fun in all areas of the game and in the room and stuff, just because you know youāre working and youāre competing at the highest level, and with that, you can bring more fun into it.
Youāve been on a team that won the Stanley Cup and then had to try to defend it. What did you learn from that experience that youāre gonna try to take into this year?
I think one of the bigger things is that you have a massive target on your back, and not just because of last year, but the last few years. Every team now knows that weāre a legit contending team again, and weāre very deep, so youāre gonna get every teamās best every single night. So you canāt take nights off thinking itās gonna be easy. This is a very unique situation after a team has been to the finals three years in a row. Thereās only been a few teams in the last 25, 30 years that have done that. Thereās gonna be a lot of management, load management, stuff like that. More, I think, the mental grindās gonna come into play. Iām just a young buck, so probably not for me, but for everybody else. Yeah, I think itās honestly just about making sure we just reset and understand that we gotta start from ground zero, build a foundation again. We are in a great spot because we donāt have many new faces and thereās a comfortability throughout the group in the system and everything, but thereās gonna be different hurdles that weāre gonna face this year as a group that we didnāt even face last year, and things that are gonna come up. Adversity is always great for a group, and I love the people that we have in our room. I believe that we have the ability to move through that and face it together, and thatāll help build our game stronger. Thereās gonna be a lot of challenges this year, but I think weāre gonna embrace that and be excited about it and try to build something and do something that teams havenāt been able to do in many, many years.
Whatās it gonna be like starting a training camp with a new team for the first time in your career, and what did you learn about South Florida, the Panthers, the whole experience, since the trade deadline six months ago?
Learned you get a great tan down here. [Laughter.] No, I have been very impressed with this fanbase. Iāve been blown away with the support that the team gets. I did not expect that, coming from a huge hockey market. I thought weād come down here and no one would really know about the teamā¦ but thereās a massive market down here for the team. Fans love it, and itās incredible to see. I was blown away with the support. Itāll be really nice to start from day one here. Building the foundation of your team from training camp is a huge part of the season, itās a huge part of team success. Having relationships with the guys already, just feeling very comfortable ā it took me a while to get comfortable, coming in last year. It really wasnāt until playoffs, I said that before, but [now] I feel great from day one. Iām really looking forward to getting underway and seeing what training camp and the testing and all that stuff is like here. We have such a great group from ownership down to trainers, players, coaches, everybody involved, and like I said, when you have the group that we have and that weāre gonna have for a long time, thereās a lot of excitement in the room and a lot of excitement about the potential to do it again. I donāt think thereās anybody thatās complacent. Thereās a lot of drive in the room right now, and thatās special. You donāt see that often.
Thereās a lot of ways to approach a threepeat, or ā some teams would maybe back away from it, saying itās a long way away, a long season, but you guys seem to embracing the idea of, and Iām just curious, is that inside the team? Is it an open conversation, or how are you guys dealing with that?
I wouldnāt say itās something that we talk a lot about, I think itās just you look at the people and the characters in the room, and thereās a mindset that you need to have to have success, and I think itās one of the things that management and ownership have done a great job at, is bringing in likeminded people that, theyāre committed in a certain way. They have the right mindset. And also when you come into this culture and you come into the room, you see it, and itās something thatās very easy to buy into. The big thing with that is complacency, you donāt see that in this room. After the season, a lot of guys will take a ton of time off ā everyone was in the gym right away, skating, training, getting prepared for this year. It wasnāt one of those things where itās like, āOh, we get to take even more time off, because weāve done it three years in a row now.ā Itās like, we gotta do it again. I think the biggest thing is just everyone kinda has a similar mindset, and when you get a taste of it, you really, really want it again. I think thatās the toughest thing, is that thereās a lot of people that have been really close, and you think you know what itās gonna feel like, but until you do, thereās nothing that replicates it. Thereās nothing you can say thatās gonna explain how great of a feeling it is to accomplish that goal, and it just gives you even more of a drive to want to do it again. I think that the guys in this room have now felt that a couple times, and just before that they felt the loss and how much it hurts to not win. Itās a very easy thing to push for when you go through that.
