On Saturday, we got to see the names of the Florida Panthers etched into the Stanley Cup. Three of the names are former New York Islanders players.
On June 24, the Florida Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7.
On Saturday, the names of the players, coaches, management, and others were etched into the treasured trophy.
KYLE OKPOSO
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Starting with the player who skated in the game, we have Kyle Okposo.
The former seventh overall pick by the New York Islanders in 2007 played nine seasons on Long Island, racking up 139 goals with 230 assists for 369 points in 529 games.
He donned the “A” for his final seven seasons in Blue & Orange and had a tremendous impact on his young teammates at the time, who are now leaders for the team today.
Okposo spent eight seasons with the Buffalo Sabres after leaving the island in the summer of 2016. He made his way to Florida at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, as this may have likely been his last season in the NHL.
In 1,051 career regular-season games, Okposo scored 242 goals with 372 assists for 614 points. He played in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game with Buffalo.
ROBERTO LUONGO
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Former Islanders netminder and 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Roberto Luongo is part of Panthers’ management, being named Special Advisor to the General Manager in November of 2019.
At the time, Dale Tallon was running the club before Bill Zito took over in 2020.
Luongo also oversees the Panthers’ goaltending department alongside Francois Allaire, the brother of Rangers director of goaltending Benoit Allaire.
The Quebec native turned Floridian retired from the NHL following the 2018-19 season. He played the better part of his final six seasons with Florida, his second stint with the club.
Drafted fourth overall in 1997 by the Islanders, Luongo played just one season in Blue and Orange, suiting up for 24 games in 1999-2000 and posting a 3.25 GAA with a .904 SV%.
He was dealt to the Panthers at the 2000 NHL Draft, with the Islanders holding the first pick. Islanders general manager Mike Milbury traded Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Panthers in exchange for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha before drafting goaltender Rick DiPietro.
BRYAN MCCABE
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Drafted 40th overall by the Islanders at the 1993 NHL Draft, Bryan McCabe has served as the Panthers’ Director of Player Personnel since 2017 after a five-year stint working as their Director of Player Development.
The Ontario-native defenseman spent the first two-plus years of his 16-year NHL career with the Islanders, playing 220 games, scoring 18 goals, 45 assists, and 46 points.
On Feb. 8, 1998, McCabe was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, along with Todd Bertuzzi and a third-round pick in 1998, in exchange for winger Trevor Linden.
After playing two seasons in Vancouver and one in Chicago before finding a home with the Toronto Maple Leafs for seven years, McCabe landed with the Panthers for two seasons after being dealt there on Sept. 2, 2008, with a fourth-round pick in 2010 for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.
On Feb. 26, 2011, McCabe was dealt to the New York Rangers for forward time Kennedy and a third-round pick in 2011.
He hung up the skates following the end of that season.
