UPDATE: The number should actually be four. We forgot about Bryan McCabe, who has served as the Panthers’ Director of Player Personnel since 2017. He got his name on the Cup last year with Florida and spent two seasons with the Canucks during his playing career.
ORIGINAL STORY: You’ve heard plenty about ex Vancouver Canucks goaltender and Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but did you know there were two more ex Canucks who will get their name on the Cup this year?
Those two names are Jonah Gadjovich and Nate Schmidt.
Gadjovich technically got his name on the Cup last season as well, thanks to playing 39 regular season games for the Panthers, but didn’t appear in any playoff games. This time around, however, Gadjovich was a mainstay on the Panthers’ fourth line and even chipped in with two goals and an assist through 16 playoff games. He spent all season with the Panthers, appearing in 42 games.
Originally drafted by the Canucks in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Gadjovich left Vancouver via NHL waivers after the San Jose Sharks claimed him. Gadjovich spent two seasons with the Sharks before signing with the Panthers ahead of the 2023-24 season. So now, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup Champion.
For Nate Schmidt, it was a short stint with the Canucks. After the Canucks traded a third round pick to the Vegas Golden Knights, Schmidt found himself playing in Canada for the first time in his career. The 2021 COVID-shortened season was a disaster for the Canucks, and after one season in Vancouver, Schmidt was ready for a change of scenery. He accepted a trade to the Winnipeg Jets the very next offseason. After three seasons with the Jets, the 33-year-old signed a one-year deal worth $800,000 to join the Panthers. And now he’s a Stanley Cup Champion.
Luongo, who serves as a Senior Advisor to Panthers GM Bill Zito, won his first Cup last season when the Panthers captured their first title in franchise history. He spent eight memorable seasons with the Canucks, where he rose to stardom. Luongo was consistently one of the league’s best goaltenders every year of his career with the Canucks. He posted a .914 save percentage during the Canucks’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 before falling to the Boston Bruins in seven games. The Canucks inducted Luongo into their Ring of Honour during the 2023-24 season. Florida retired Luongo’s jersey number 1 in 2020, making him the first retired number in Panthers franchise history.
*Note: The number rises to five if you include Gustav Forsling, who the Canucks drafted in the fifth round back in 2017. But Forsling never played an NHL game for the Canucks before he was traded away for Adam Clendening, so he was not included in this list.
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