Florida Panthers Threepeat Bid Highlights NHL Olympic Return

The Florida Panthers face a significant challenge in their bid to threepeat as Stanley Cup champions after losing their captain Aleksander Barkov to a knee injury expected to sideline him for 7-9 months. Despite this setback, the Panthers remain strong contenders, having won 11 of 12 playoff series since acquiring Matthew Tkachuk and hiring coach Paul Maurice. The NHL season, starting October 7, is highly anticipated, featuring star players like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon, with an exciting return of NHL players to the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, for the first time in over a decade. The season will include 909 games before the Olympic break and 403 games afterward, culminating in the playoff chase for the Stanley Cup beginning in April. Veteran players like Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby have noted the rarity and difficulty of winning three consecutive championships, with the last to do so being the New York Islanders in the early 1980s. The upcoming season blends the pursuit of NHL glory with the global stage of Olympic competition, making it a thrilling time for hockey fans worldwide.