SUNRISE, Fla. — There are a couple of minor dings these days in the Stanley Cup, including one right near the spot where the names of the 2024-25 Florida Panthers are etched in commemoration of their latest title.

Such things happen during championship celebrations. No worries, they’ll be fixed soon.

And the Panthers are hoping for the chance to put a few more dings in the trophy next year.

A new season for the now back-to-back Stanley Cup champions started with the Panthers all gazing toward the top of Amerant Bank Arena to watch another championship banner hoisted to the rafters. It’s basically the same as last year’s — white background, red lettering — with the only change being the year, 2025 instead of 2024.

“This is a new year and it’s a new opportunity for us,” Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. “And when it starts, it’s time to turn the page and start working toward a chance to hopefully do it again.”

The banner swayed over the end of the ice the Panthers defended twice in their 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. By the next home game, it’ll take its more-permanent place over the team bench alongside the team’s other banners for division and conference titles.

“You kind of look back at what you achieved but at the same time you’re proud of the achievement,” Panthers forward Anton Lundell said. “But it gives you more hunger to do it again.”

Fans lined up for one more picture with the Cup outside the doors of the arena, many of them arriving long before the unusual 5 p.m. weekday start time — one that was used to accommodate being part of a nationally televised triple-header. Once they came inside, the new scoreboard over center ice displayed a replay of some moments from the third period of Game 6 of last season’s Stanley Cup Final, just in case anyone forgot how that season ended.

And after all the warm-ups were complete, just as they did in June 2024 and June 2025 — the Panthers finished off the Cup championship runs by beating the Edmonton Oilers on home ice in each of the last two title matchups — the fans roared when the trophy was brought onto the rink. Assistant captain Aaron Ekblad did the honors this year, carrying the trophy onto the ice, then hoisting it before placing it onto a stand next to the spot where the banner was being unfurled and raised.

“Incredible, coming out in front of our fans and being able to hoist it one more time,” Ekblad said.

Once the banner was raised, the players raised their sticks in a salute to the fans.

“We want three! We want three! We want three!” the fans chanted back.

Said Marchand: “It’s great to see their expectations are there. We obviously have the same ones, but this is going to be harder than the last two. ... It’s a long road ahead.”

Opening night capped a two-day celebration for the champs; the Panthers’ players and coaches got their championship rings in a private ceremony the previous night.

“Last night was a little bit of a nice reminder for them what the payoff for all that hard work is,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “And it kind of lifts everybody’s spirits and gets them excited about tonight.”

It won’t be an easy road for the Panthers this season. Captain Aleksander Barkov is going to miss several months and potentially the entire season with two torn ligaments in his knee, an injury suffered 20 minutes into his first practice of training camp. And forward Matthew Tkachuk likely is out until December while recovering from offseason surgery. Barkov and Tkachuk, dressed in street clothes, watched the hoisting from the Florida bench.

The Panthers know how rare this opportunity is. They could be the first back-to-back-to-back NHL champion since the New York Islanders won four consecutive Cups from 1980 through 1983.

“The great thing about sports is you don’t know, and there’s a reason we play the games, and it’s about the stories that can be generated,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “And this is going to be an interesting story. Two of the biggest stars on the team are injured. How well they come back, how resilient the team is without them, that’s going to be a great story to see unfold. This is an organization, a team, that’s been well put together. (General manager) Bill Zito deserves an enormous amount of credit. My guess is this team is going to give it all to make it happen again if they can.”

SUNRISE, Fla. — Fans of the Florida Panthers cheered the Stanley Cup. Cheered the banner going to the rafters. Cheered the return of the back-to-back NHL champions.

And cheered the opposing goaltender.

Yes, some Panthers fans still shout “Knight” during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before each game, even though Spencer Knight — the former Florida goalie whose name is on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2023-24 championship squad — no longer plays for the team. Knight was traded to Chicago last season and started against the Panthers in the season opener for both teams.

Knight made 34 saves, but Florida won 3-2.

“Honestly, I didn’t know if they still did or not, but that’s cool,” Knight said in advance of the game. “And again, I think that goes through, top to bottom, the whole community around here, the people. Everyone was just very nice, kind and very appreciative. So, I’m really thankful that I was able to start here. And I hope that I gave some people good memories.”

The Panthers gave Knight a video tribute at the first TV timeout of the first period. Many of the Blackhawks looked up to watch, and when it was over Knight gave the fans a wave as many in the crowd rose for a standing ovation.

“I was playing the game,” Knight said. “I saluted the crowd, but I was there to play hockey.”

The Panthers took Knight, the onetime Boston College star, with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He went 44-25-7 in parts of four seasons with Florida, plus 1-1 in a pair of playoff starts he got in 2021.

He was the primary piece that the Panthers gave up in a trade last season that brought defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago to Florida. Knight went 5-8-2 in 15 games with the Blackhawks after the trade last season.

“It’s a special little connection there,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of seeing Knight again. “For me, as a player, it was always his explosiveness. He’s just an incredible athlete. And his ability to get from one side of the net to the other under control with strength ... I think he’s going to be a great goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks for a lot of years.”

LAS VEGAS — Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said Connor McDavid’s below-market extension to stay with Edmonton has no bearing on his contract talks with Vegas.

McDavid gave the Oilers a hometown discount, signing a two-year, $25 million deal that keeps him in Edmonton through 2028. The three-time MVP could have tried to negotiate for a better deal than the eight-year, $136 million contract for Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov on Sept. 30 that made him the NHL’s highest-paid player ever.

Eichel enters the final season of an eight-year, $80 million deal, and he is expected to command a contract closer to Kaprizov than McDavid, perhaps even richer than what the Wild agreed to pay.

“I don’t have much to say other than we are having conversations and trying to find the right deal and hoping we can get something done,” Eichel’s agent, Pat Brisson, said in a text message.

Eichel said he’s in touch with Brisson every day, but also understands that if a deal gets done, it will be during the season.

“It’s something we’ll continue to work at,” Eichel said. “In my situation, just try to be as good of a player and teammate every night the best I can and help our hockey team win games.”

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said on the eve of training camp that other players’ contracts will not be taken into consideration when it comes to trying to reach a deal with Eichel.

“I will say what I said in July, Jack is a priority,” McCrimmon said. “We have tremendous regard for the player and what he’s meant to our organization. I think he feels the organization’s been very good for him as well, and we’ll continue to have dialogue.”

Eichel scored a career-high 94 points last season that included a personal-best 66 assists. He and newly acquired Mitch Marner will share the top line with Ivan Barbashev. Marner had 102 points with Toronto, and he agreed to an eight-year, $96 million sign-and-trade deal with Vegas.

“I’m hoping they’re dangerous every time they’re on the ice because they have it in them offensively,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said of the first line. “I know what they can do defensively. There’s never a worry for me who’s the matchup on the other side, and that’s no disrespect to those players. They’ve handled those matchups for years in the league, and now you’ve got two of them on the same line.”

Cassidy heaps praise on forwards

Cassidy coached some of the NHL’s top forwards in Boston before guiding Vegas to the Stanley Cup in 2023.

“This could be the best group in terms of player one to 12 that I could ever coach just because of the depth and how it’s lining up for the Vegas Golden Knights,” Cassidy said. “Other teams have ways they access and that’s not disrespect. ... Now we’ve got to get it off the paper and onto the rink looking like it’s supposed to.”

Holtz signs 2-year deal

The Golden Knights signed forward Alexander Holtz to a two-year, $1.675 million contract. He was on a professional tryout agreement.

The 23-year-old played in 53 games last season for the Golden Knights, recording four goals and eight assists.

The NHL’s season-opening rosters are in, and they include three of the top five picks from the most recent draft.

No. 1 choice Matthew Schaefer made the New York Islanders after a strong training camp, No. 2 Michael Misa will start with the San Jose Sharks and No. 5 Brady Martin has gone from his family’s farm in Elora, Ontario, to the first line with the Nashville Predators.

“You’ve seen teams having young guys, they keep them up and they manage the workload,” Islanders first-year general manager Mathieu Darche said.

Schaefer, a smooth-skating defenseman who turned 18 on Sept. 5, is getting eased in, though there was little doubt about him sticking on Long Island and not returning to his junior team in Erie. Darche confirmed that Schaefer will be in the lineup at Pittsburgh.

“He’s completely earned his spot on the team,” Darche said. “He’s ready for this. And then we’ll start the season and see where it goes at this point. ... The way he’s going to play is going to dictate what we do.”

San Jose’s final few cuts left Misa and 2024 No. 11 pick Sam Dickinson to add to the rebuilding club’s youth movement. The Sharks finished last in the NHL last season when Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith were rookies and are again projected to miss the playoffs, though the long-term future is bright.

With Nashville trying to climb back into contender status, Martin skated alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly at practice.

It had become clear at Rangers practices that versatile forward Conor Sheary was on track to make the team after attending camp on a professional tryout agreement. Sheary won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and ’17 when New York coach Mike Sullivan was with the Penguins.

Sheary signed a two-way contract worth the league-minimum $775,000, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed. Brett Berard was sent to Hartford of the American Hockey League to make room under the salary cap.

“There’s a lot of pressure on players when they’re on a PTO and obviously a lot of uncertainty, so you’re just happy for guys when they work so hard,” Rangers Hall of Fame goaltender-turned-TNT analyst Henrik Lundqvist said in a video call with the AP. “You’re happy for a guy like that, for sure, when you put in the hours and preparation to try to make it.”

Veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also signed with Chicago after his PTO, getting $1 million for the season from the Blackhawks. Kevin Rooney signed for the league minimum with Utah after trying out at New Jersey’s camp.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Niko Mikkola had an assist on a goal that gave the Florida Panthers an 8-0 lead. Problem was, he’d been kicked out of the game a few minutes earlier and nobody noticed.

It was that kind of night between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida beat Tampa Bay 7-0 in the preseason finale for both clubs Saturday night, though the score was irrelevant. There were 65 penalties for 312 minutes on the stat sheet, including 13 game misconduct penalties — seven for Tampa Bay, six for Florida. The penalty count kept rising after the game, while officials were making sure everything that was called got logged.

Florida had 17 power-play chances in the game, by the NHL’s count.

“It got silly. It got stupid by the end of it,” Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said. “It wasn’t really hockey out there.”

The parade to the penalty boxes started about two minutes into the game when Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin — who was among six players the Lightning called up for the game — went after Florida’s Aaron Ekblad. Sabourin got a major penalty after playing only 19 seconds.

“It made you think there might be something coming,” Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen said, when asked what he thought when he saw the Lightning called up players for the game.

What would have been the eighth Florida goal of the night, midway through the third period, was taken away 15 minutes after Jesper Boqvist scored. Off-ice officials realized that Mikkola couldn’t have had an assist on the play — since he’d been ejected earlier in the period.

The teams skated with the scoreboard saying Florida led 8-0 for about five minutes of actual game time, before officials informed both teams that the goal had been taken away and Mikkola had to leave the game.

The Lightning took nine penalties and had no shots on goal in the third period.

Saturday’s game came two nights after the teams combined for 49 penalties and 186 minutes in another preseason contest, one the Lightning won 5-2.

Tampa Bay went to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals from 2020 through 2022, winning two titles in that span. Florida has been to each of the last three Stanley Cup Finals and has won the last two Cups. And it has long been a heated rivalry between the franchises.

“I think anybody that’s been a part of this rivalry would probably look at this box score and A, not be surprised and B, I can’t believe it’s taken this long for something like that to happen,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild announced a five-year, $34 million contract extension for goalie Filip Gustavsson on Saturday.

Gustavsson’s extension begins in the 2026-27 season and goes through 2030-31. It’s the team’s latest move after signing star Kirill Kaprizov to the richest deal in NHL history earlier this week.

The 27-year-old from Sweden started all 58 games he appeared in for Minnesota last season, posting a 31-19-6 record with five shutouts and a 2.56 goals-against average.

Minnesota acquired Gustavsson in a trade with the Ottawa Senators for goalie Cam Talbot in July 2022. He was expected to sit behind Marc-André Fleury and learn from the veteran the following season, but quickly proved to the franchise and fans he was more than a backup.

The Wild locked Gustavsson into a three-year, $11.25 million contract after his 2023 standout season in which he went 22-9-7 with a 2.10 goals-against average.

Gustavsson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round in 2016. He was shipped to Ottawa in 2018 as part of a three-team trade.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Cole Schwindt was a player the Florida Panthers reluctantly included in the trade that brought them Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary three years ago.

And now, the Panthers brought Schwindt back.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions claimed Schwindt off waivers Friday — a move that, somewhat ironically, figures to help them get through playing without Tkachuk for the first few weeks of the season.

“We had him before and we know what he can do,” Florida president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said. “There’s a lot of upside. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

Schwindt — who was in the deal that sent Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar and draft capital to the Flames for Tkachuk in 2022 — spent last season with Vegas, playing in 42 games and finishing with a goal and seven assists. He played in three games with Florida in 2021-22 and four games with Calgary in 2023-24, never registering a point in either of those stops.

But with Tkachuk out until probably December, and with captain Aleksander Barkov expected to miss most if not the entire season with torn knee ligaments, Florida needed to replenish its depth. Schwindt was placed on waivers Thursday by Vegas and the Panthers won the claim.

Schwindt’s brother, Kai Schwindt, is also part of the Panthers organization. Kai Schwindt was in camp with the team this fall and was assigned earlier this week to Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte.

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Oilers signed coach Kris Knoblauch to a three-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Knoblauch has guided the Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup finals since replacing Jay Woodcroft behind the bench on Nov. 12, 2023.

After a 3-9-1 start in 2023-24 under Woodcroft, Edmonton went on to post a 48-16-5 record under Knoblauch before reaching the final, falling in seven games to the Florida Panthers.

The 47-year-old from Imperial, Saskatchewan, then posted a 48-29-5 record last season, his first full one in charge. Edmonton went 12-4 through three playoff rounds but again lost the final to Florida, this time in six games.

Knoblauch was in his fifth season coaching the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, when he took his first job running an NHL bench with the Oilers.

He previously had served as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-2019, and coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid for three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters.

Knoblauch also played junior hockey for the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Ice and spent five years playing at the University of Alberta.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers, for all the questions swirling around them, remain the class of the Pacific Division when it comes to success when it matters most.

Sure, McDavid is in the final year of his contract and goaltending remains an uncertainty, but they’ve won the Western Conference to reach the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two years and are favored to do so again.

“They’re a good team — they’re a great team,” Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe said. “They are arguably one of the two best teams the last two years in the playoffs, so they’re tough to beat.”

The Vegas Golden Knights after adding Mitch Marner to a core that already has won a championship figure to be the strongest challenger. Kempe’s Kings, in captain Anze Kopitar’s final NHL season, also could push the Oilers. The Anaheim Ducks look primed to make a major leap forward under new coach Joel Quenneville.

“He’s done it before: He’s won three Stanley Cups for a reason,” Ducks center Mason McTavish said. “Obviously, he’s got a great relationship with his players and he leans on them and we lean on him. Super excited to play for him and give him my all.”

On the rise

Vegas finished atop the Pacific last season with five more standings points than LA and nine more than Edmonton. Getting Marner in a sign-and-trade from Toronto and inking him to a $96 million contract through his prime only makes the Golden Knights more likely to hoist that silver chalice again.

“Tons of credit to management to be able to add a player like Mitch,” said No. 1 center Jack Eichel, who is unsigned beyond this season. “It goes to say a lot about our organization and playing here. Obviously Mitch was going to be a free agent and had, I would assume, his pick of the litter of where he wanted to play, so I think that there’s something to be said for that.”

Quenneville’s hire isn’t the only reason for optimism in Orange County. The Ducks have someone they think is a budding elite goaltender in Lukas Dostal and young talent including McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe.

Add to them the acquisition of veteran forward Chris Kreider, and it’s a mix that might have the Ducks playoff-bound for the first time since 2018.

“I think that’s what we really needed was those veteran guys,” said Dostal, who will get more action in net after the trade of John Gibson to Detroit. “They’re going to really help our young core.”

On the decline

Vancouver — at least for now — has one of the best defensemen in the NHL in captain Quinn Hughes. Brother Jack has made no secret about wanting to play with Quinn, who has two years left on his contract.

The Canucks lost coach Rick Tocchet, promoted Adam Foote to take his place and may need goalie Thatcher Demko to carry them many nights. J.T. Miller plays for the New York Rangers now after a schism with Elias Pettersson led to a trade, and Quinn Hughes just hopes everyone can move on from that drama.

“Our team should be in a position now where there’s no distractions,” Hughes said. “We’ve got a new coaching staff, and hopefully Demko’s healthy and we’ll be ready to go.”

Seattle also has a new coach, Lane Lambert, after the experiment with Dan Bylsma lasted only one season that ended 20 points out of the final playoff spot in the West.

“We really underperformed what we’re capable of,” said captain Jordan Eberle, who believes the Kraken “definitely need to be in the mix” for a playoff spot. That would be a surprise.

On the hot seat

Jim Hiller goes into his second full season as Kings coach, with Ken Holland taking over as general manager. Any kind of slow start could be reason enough for Holland to make a move and Peter DeBoer is available for any team that needs a midseason replacement.

Kris Knoblauch is safe in Edmonton, for now, especially given how well the team has done since taking over for Jay Woodcroft in November 2023. Anything short of another trip to the final makes it a question.

Predicted order of finish

Vegas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, San Jose.

Jackson LaCombe signed an eight-year, $72 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks, keeping the rising young defenseman with the club through the 2033-34 season.

After just two full NHL seasons, the 24-year-old LaCombe has emerged as an elite two-way defenseman who is under consideration for the U.S. Olympic team roster.

The Ducks welcomed LaCombe’s eagerness to commit his long-term future to Anaheim before he reached restricted free agency next summer, and general manager Pat Verbeek signed him to the richest contract ever given out by the team, although others had larger average annual values.

“Both sides were looking at long-term deals, so I think it came together pretty quickly,” Verbeek told reporters in Irvine after the Ducks’ practice. “What we’re all trying to gauge the landscape of where salaries are going (with the future NHL salary cap), so I feel really comfortable with the contract and the character of Jackson LaCombe. And the player, and I still think there’s lots of upside and growth in his game. I think the best is still to come from Jackson.”

LaCombe went straight to the NHL from the University of Minnesota in April 2023, and he has recorded 16 goals and 44 assists over 148 games with Anaheim. He emerged as the Ducks’ most dependable defenseman with remarkable speed, leading the roster in ice time last season and filling a major role on their power play.

LaCombe’s teammates doused him with water when he returned to the dressing room after signing his contract at their training complex.

“I love it here,′ LaCombe told reporters. ”I love being here. I love playing here. I love all my teammates here, too, so for me it was an easy decision. ... It’s easy to live here. You could say the weather (is a positive) and the place is so nice, but just the group we have has been great for me. Everybody has been so welcoming for the last two years, so I’m grateful for that and I’m just excited to be here for a long time.”

The Ducks missed the playoffs last spring for the seventh consecutive season, but LaCombe was one of their brightest spots. His responsibilities increased dramatically after longtime Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler was traded to St. Louis last December, and LaCombe responded with exceptional transition play and consistent offensive creation with his dangerous wrist shot.

The Minnesota native’s 14 goals last season were 11th among NHL defensemen and the most by an Anaheim blueliner since Lubomir Visnovsky had 18 in the 2010-11 season.

LaCombe also stood out at the world championships in Stockholm last May, recording two goals and three assists for the gold medal-winning U.S. team.

After the Ducks made him the 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft, LaCombe became a star for the Golden Gophers, growing into a top NCAA defenseman who was physically strong enough and mentally mature enough to jump right into the NHL game.

“I think it all happened quickly,” LaCombe said. “My first year was definitely tougher, and I thought last year I played a lot better and I was happy about that. To get (the contract) done now is great.”

LaCombe is the first player to re-sign in the Ducks’ large class of restricted free agents coming up next summer. LaCombe was slated to be an RFA alongside center Leo Carlsson, left wing Cutter Gauthier and defensemen Owen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov.

“Jackson is the first domino to fall, and we’re working on other stuff as well,” Verbeek said.

Verbeek locked up LaCombe five days after re-signing holdout center Mason McTavish to a six-year, $42 million deal.