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SUNRISE — The NHL unveiled the Florida Panthers Quarter Century team on Friday, selecting the top 12 players in the team’s past 25 years.
To be eligible, a player had to play for the Panthers on Jan. 1, 2000 or beyond; so, many of the original Panthers, players who made this franchise tick in the 1990s, were not eligible.
One of them, however, was.
Robert Svehla, considered by some to be the best defenseman in franchise history, made the second team.
Although Svehla was not an original member of the Panthers — he made his NHL debut during the team’s second season in 1995 — he was a big part of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
Stephane Yelle of the Avalanche tangles with Florida defenseman Robert Svehla during a game at Miami Arena on Jan. 20, 1997. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)
Aaron Ekblad and Gus Forsling were the defensemen named to the first-team; Jay Bouwmeester joined Svehla on the second team.
The three forwards who make up the first team on the Quarter Century team should not come as any surprise: Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Matthew Tkachuk are three players who are either atop the franchise leaderboard in numerous categories or, in Tkachuk’s case, headed that way.
The second team consists of current Florida winger Sam Reinhart, as well as former captain and franchise-leading scorer Olli Jokinen (Barkov and Huberdeau surpassed his past records) and dynamic goal-scorer Pavel Bure.
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad poses with fans after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 24, 2024, in Sunrise. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo was selected as the first-team goalie, with Stanley Cup champ Sergei Bobrovsky named to the second team.
The team, part of the NHL’s plans to recognize the top 25 players from the past 25 years, was selected by a panel of media, retired players and executives specific to that team.
Florida Hockey Now invited its readers to choose their own team, one which was unveiled Friday morning.
Here is my ballot:
First Team — Forwards: Barkov, Huberdeau, Tkachuk; Defensemen: Ekblad, Forsling; Goalie: Luongo.
Second Team — Forwards: Reinhart, Jokinen, Bure; Defensemen: Bouwmeester, Brian Campbell. Goalie: Bobrovsky.
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