NHL Makes Historic Sam Bennett Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The NHL commemorated a rare postseason milestone on Saturday as the Florida Panthers went on to beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
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Sam Bennett scored the Panthers’ second goal of the day in the first period of Florida’s win, one that moved the Panthers to within one win of back-to-back championships.
The tally also extended his postseason lead in goals and added to one of the most productive playoff runs in modern NHL history.
The NHL captured the historic performance with a post on X, moments after Bennett scored his 15th goal of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“SAM BENNETT STRIKES AGAIN 🤯 He’s now just the fourth active player to score 15 goals in a single postseason! #StanleyCup,” the NHL posted.
The caption was accompanied by a list of the other three members of such an elite club, which includes Oilers’ Zach Hyman (16 in 2024), Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin (15 in 2018), and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (15 in 2009).
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Bennett is just the second player ever — and the first since 1919 — to reach 15 postseason goals without ever recording a 30-goal regular season. The only other is Newsy Lalonde, who scored 17 in the 1919 playoffs.
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) reacts after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Bennett’s 13 road goals this postseason are already a league record, and he’s now scored in six straight road games, something done by just four other players: Brian Propp, Mark Scheifele, Kevin Stevens, and Maurice Richard.
The Panthers forward finished the regular season scoring 51 points in 76 games and has 15 goals and seven assists for 22 total points in 22 postseason outings entering Game 6.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.