Sam Reinhart #13 of the Florida Panthers celebrates on the street (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
Sam Reinhart is riding high these days as one of the core members of the Florida Panthers.
The 29-year-old has emerged as one of the top goal scorers and a key member of the NHL’s powerhouse team. Since the acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk and the hiring of head coach Paul Maurice in 2022, the Panthers have made three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and won two consecutive titles. To top it all off, they’ve won 11 of 12 playoff series since 2023.
"Coming into the league pretty close to 10 years ago, it’s something you never really thought about," Reinhart says in a one-on-one interview with RG while speaking at a Raising Cane’s event. "Hockey in South Florida is thriving. People and the fans here are a big reason why."
Reinhart is coming off a four-goal performance in a series-clinching Game 6 win over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final—the first player since 1957 to accomplish the feat in the championship series. He also happened to score the series-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year.
"It was pretty cool," Reinhart says of his big-game performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. "You felt it from getting into the rink—everyone was kind of in the zone. I said it earlier, it felt like the fastest game I’ve ever been a part of. And that’s a good sign when things go like that."
Last season, Reinhart scored a franchise-record 67 goals during the 2023-24 season (including the postseason), ranking second in the NHL in regular-season goals. Along with the likes of Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Sergei Bobrovsky, Reinhart has helped mold the Panthers into a modern-day dynasty.
Panthers’ Future Looking Bright
Considering all the players mentioned—with the exception of Bobrovsky—are no older than 30, there appears to be no end in sight for the Panthers.
A big reason for the Panthers’ second Stanley Cup was the addition of veterans Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. Florida was very familiar with Marchand’s reputation as a long-tenured member of the Boston Bruins. He came up big in this year’s playoffs, scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final—his 16th career game-winning goal in the playoffs.
"Absolute competitors," Reinhart says of Marchand and Jones. "When the games get tight, they’re two guys you want on the team."
Bennett—the Conn Smythe Trophy winner—will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason but has already said he wants to return to the Panthers. Reinhart, who has been his teammate for the past four seasons, says, "He better be coming back."
"He better be coming back," Reinhart says of Bennett with a smile. "Massive player for what we do. Anytime you can get the MVP back, it’s pretty good."
When asked what the Panthers will need to do to win a third Stanley Cup, Reinhart smiled and said he’s focused on enjoying the second one for now.
"Another Cup—I think the more we enjoy the second Cup, the better off we’ll be going for three," Reinhart says.
"You gotta enjoy moments like this."
Reinhart, who signed an eight-year, $69 million contract before the start of last season, is under contract through the 2031-32 season, when he’ll be 36 years old. He says he hopes to finish his career with the Panthers — a stance that mirrors that of his teammate Matthew Tkachuk, who told RG back in February that he would “never leave Florida.”
"Yeah, I’m going to be 37 when my deal is up," Reinhart says. "Hopefully there’s another one coming."
DJ Siddiqi
