When Aleksander Barkov hoisted the Stanley Cup, he became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to win the championship. Fellow countrymen Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola were also on the Cats roster, along with assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu. “Everybody who grows up playing hockey in Finland, they look up to guys here, […]

Sergei Bobrovsky is a great regular season goaltender, but something happens in the postseason and “Playoff Bob” shows up. One impressive stretch came against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2025 Eastern Conference Second Round when Bobrovsky broke John Vanbiesbrouck’s nearly 30-year-old team record with 143:25 of shutout hockey, leading the Panthers to three crucial […]

Prior to the 2023-24 season, Evan Rodrigues had never advanced out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his teams had suffered crushing opening round upsets each of the past two seasons. In his first playoff run with the Cats, Rodrigues did his part to keep the team going. Rodrigues scored seven […]

Defenseman Niko Mikkola is always talking. “He’s just a fun guy. Hyper intense during the game, and God, he comes back to the bench and nobody knows what he’s saying,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “Even the Finnish guys have no idea what he’s saying.” Mikkola, nicknamed “The Condor” for his 6-6 frame, also lets […]