The last time an NHL franchise managed to record back-to-back Stanley Cup victories was the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won back-to-back titles in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2025, the Tampa Bay Panthers Florida will have the chance to emulate the Bolts as they defend their 2024 Stanley Cup championship.

Until days! pic.twitter.com/0ysbXBywUb

– Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 3, 2024

So, can Paul Maurice’s men reiterate their heroism?

The odds are in favor of cats

Opening odds for the 2024/2025 Stanley Cup, courtesy of bet365, have the Cats at just +1,000 to make it. Tellingly, only the Edmonton Oilers had a starting price below +800. In other words, there is very little between the Cats and Oilers in terms of odds, with both franchises expected to advance comfortably in the playoffs.

Of course, preseason favorites don’t always end up being regular season frontrunners, so any Floridians looking to support the Cats this season may want to take advantage of their bet365 promotion where they can receive $200 in bets free after betting just $5.

Although certain terms and conditions apply, it is latest bet365 bonus explained in a word. With such a generous free throw, many NHL fans are ready to capitalize on this October deal by supporting their early season favorites.

As mentioned, even though the NHL has a habit of coming up with barely believable storylines that often flatly reject the offseason narrative, there is reason to believe the Cats will pick up right where they left off after winning the 2024 Stanley Cup.

Winning has become second nature to the Streetwise Cats.

The reason for this discreet optimism lies in the fact that Cats continue to evolve season after season. Over the past 36 months, they won the Presidents’ Trophy, reached the final, then defied all odds to go one better and win the Stanley Cup when many feared a hangover.

Essentially, the Cats have cultivated a culture of excellence and demonstrated resilience, most notably in their response to losing the 2023 Stanley Cup to the Vegas Golden Knights.

This blend of confidence and ability to bounce back from setbacks creates a powerful dynamic that prepares them well to defend their 2024 championship.

Of course, it’s also worth keeping in mind that the Cats will undertake the task of facing the back-to-back without the key personnel that helped them build one of the league’s most formidable defenses.

In particular, not being able to call upon the services of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour next season will be a concern. However, just as crucial was the retention of Sam Reinhart, who scored the Cats’ first and final goal of their Stanley Cup-winning season.

REINHART WINS IT FOR FLORIDA pic.twitter.com/sWXoDffTKj

– B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 29, 2024

With 67 goals last season, the Cats retained their talisman managed to tie Reinhart to an eight-year contract during the offseason.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

While the makeup of the Cats’ 2024 championship team may have changed, their goal remains the same in 2025: continue to ride that purple patch and etch their name in history by winning hockey’s greatest prize. ice for the second year in a row.