Kevin Stenlund gets Stanley Cup ring — and into a fight — as Florida beats Utah HC

SALT LAKE CITY — On Tuesday night, Utah Hockey Club forward Kevin Stenlund met with his former Florida Panthers teammates and got a new prized possession: a Stanley Cup ring.

On Wednesday, he was sitting in a penalty box after getting in some fisticuffs with some of those same teammates. Hockey can be a funny sport.

Stenlund's new side couldn't quite keep up with the reigning Stanley Cup champions in a 4-1 loss to Florida at the Delta Center. The Panthers scored two empty-net goals to make the score seem much more lopsided than the game actually was, though.

"We can be better in certain areas offensively," head coach André Tourigny said. "But defensively, I think we're solid. It's a good team in general. It's the Cup champion, so I think defensively, we did a lot of good things. I like the effort of the guys. I like the passion."

That passion was clearly seen midway through the third period when Stenlund got taken down to the ice from a knee by his former teammate Niko Mikkola. Soon, every player on the ice was in on the frenzy.

Stenlund and Florida's A.J. Greer, the Boston University product, were sent to the penalty box for their roles in the fracas.

"The game, like today, it's good for us," Tourigny said. "It's frustrating, obviously, but there's good in there. It's good for us to learn from it and to go toe-to-toe in those games, to not shy away, to not get pushed, to stay in it and be there until the end."

Stenlund has helped bring that type of knowledge to the young Utah team. He said there was an established culture with the Panthers that he could sense immediately upon arrival. The team had made four straight playoff appearances when he got to Florida and the team had just lost in the Cup Finals.

So what did he learn?

"You need to play for each other, to like each other — a brotherhood," he said. "I think that's a big piece."

Another big one? Commitment to the team as a whole.

"It's a long season," he said. "You've got to be all the way and find ways to get sort of your role in the team. Know what you're good at and be fine with that."

In short, not everyone can be an Aleksander Barkov or Sam Reinhart. Or in Utah's case, a Clayton Keller or Mikhail Sergachev.

Stenlund was that type of player in Florida, becoming a penalty-kill ace for the Panthers — something that proved critical during their Cup run as they faced top-tier power-play units over and over.

"He really built his game over the course of the year, from style of play to finding that role that's valued in the room," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "So when we got into the playoffs last year, he was just as important as anybody else, because he has such an important role for us. He found his place and he found his way, and he was a great player for us and critical."

When Utah looked at Stenlund this offseason, they noticed just how critical. Tourigny pointed out that Stenlund had more penalty kill minutes than Barkov, who he considers the gold standard of defensive forwards. That sold the coach on bringing Stenlund to Utah.

"His composure in big moments, his desire to make a difference and to play the right away all the time, he wins big face-offs," Tourigny said. "On and off the ice, he's really important."

Maurice said Utah bringing in guys like Stenlund, Sergachev and Ian Cole is reminiscent of what the Panthers did to build their team into a true contender. They had a lot of dynamic players up front and then started to build a team around it.

Will Utah have the same success the Panthers have enjoyed? Time will tell, but there's at least some hope.

"We're happy about where we're at," Tourigny said. "Obviously, when you go through a moment like we've been through last year, it builds you. I think tough moments build you and good moment builds you, as well. The Panthers went to the final (in 2023) and they lost. I think their success and their failure built them tighter, and they got a reward last year. We aspire to do the same."

Then they'd get to enjoy what Stenlund did on Tuesday — getting a championship ring with some old friends.

"When you're walking up right before you shake hands, there's this smile," Maurice said of seeing all of the former Panthers this season. "I don't know if I can explain it any better than that, but that connection is never going to fade."

Even after a fight.

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