Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Panthers’ Forward Sam Bennett Awarded Conn Smythe Trophy

Bennett Scored 6 goals in the last 6 road games

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers are now two-time defending Champions of the Stanley Cup following their Game 6 thrashing of the Edmonton Oilers. As the 2025 Stanley Cup Final came to a fitting end, Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett was honored with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In doing so, the forward has become the first player in franchise history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Despite winning the Stanley Cup in 2024, the postseason MVP went to the Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid.

BENNETT IS THE CONN SMYTHE WINNER! 👏

After leading the League with 15 goals through the postseason, Sam Bennett has been crowned the MVP of these #StanleyCup Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/2qzd8MwhmK
— NHL (@NHL) June 18, 2025

Bennett’s Key Contributions in Away Games

Part of a talented and deep roster of the Florida Panthers, Bennett finished fourth among his teammates in total points with 22 to his name. However, he led all players this postseason with 15 goals scored, a good 4 goals ahead of Leon Draisaitl and teammate Sam Reinhart, who both finished second with 11 goals.

Even more astonishing is the fact that 13 of his 15 goals have come on the road, an NHL record in itself. He stepped up his game when it mattered the most and scored 6 of his last away games, leading to big contributions for the team.

The 28-year-old, who has been playing in the league since 2014, also had his best year this season with 51 total points, including 25 goals from 76 games. The Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy are an early birthday present for the forward who is set to turn 29 in a couple of days.

Sam Bennett is simply next level in the playoffs.pic.twitter.com/mUOElcy9uU
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) June 10, 2025

Bennet was gracious after being awarded the trophy, giving flowers to his teammates, while also mentioning that the focus was always on securing back-to-back Championships.

“My whole focus is on winning the Stanley Cup. And that’s truly what I’m most proud of right at this moment. Obviously, it’s a huge honor, but it really could have went to 25 guys. Every single guy played a huge part. We had so many MVPs in this playoff run. So it really could have went to anyone.”

What Does the Future Hold for Bennett?

This Stanley Cup win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Panthers’ forward. On July 1, Bennett is set to become a free agent, and Florida has less than a fortnight to get a deal done with their star player if they wish to do so.

Replacing Bennett will not be an easy task, and the Panthers are aware of it. However, the Ontario native has now won 2 Stanley Cups on the trot and could be looking for a more lucrative deal coming his way in free agency.

2025 Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

Florida Panthers

NHL

Sam Bennett

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!