Only 52 names are etched onto the Stanley Cup for each winning team. It’s a big number, yet it can sometimes feel small. Some players may not see the ice during the championship run, but their impact on the organization is deeply felt. That might just be the case for a former teammate of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and the Florida Panthers, who has now announced his retirement after a 15-year NHL career.
Any team can catch fire at the right time during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and end up hoisting the Cup. However, more often than not, there’s a bigger story behind the scenes. Most NHL franchises learn their hardest lessons through bumps and bruises. The Panthers might just be the perfect example of that.
Tkachuk, Bennett, and company had to learn how to win—and that’s a lesson only taught by the most painful experience: losing in the Stanley Cup Final. Instead of drowning in their sorrow, the Cats bounced back and went on to capture back-to-back championships.
There are several unsung heroes in Sunrise, many of whom haven’t played a single game during the Panthers’ recent conquests, yet remain beloved figures within the organization. Zac Dalpe is definitely a player who fits perfectly into that category. Drafted in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and making his debut in 2010, Dalpe is now calling it a career.
Zac Dalpe #22 of the Florida Panthers looks on during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on December 17, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey.
“I’m proud of what I got to do, but more importantly I’m so proud of who I got to do it with,” Dalpe said in a heartfelt retirement letter. “I appreciate every single person that was along for the greatest ride of my life. A Canadian kid got to be a hockey player for 15 years. In the beautiful words of Gord Downie – I got to go, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.“
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More than a goal
Dalpe played 13 games during the Panthers’ postseason run in 2023. In a magical stretch that saw one of the NHL’s biggest upsets in history, Dalpe etched his name into franchise lore with a crucial goal—a moment fans in Sunrise won’t soon forget.
Dalpe’s lone career playoff goal—and point—came in Game 6 of the first-round matchup against Brad Marchand’s Boston Bruins. With the Cats trailing 3–4 and needing a win to force Game 7, the veteran buried the tying goal in the third period. Florida went on to win 7–5 and force a winner-takes-all showdown at TD Garden, which became an instant classic in its own right.
Glass half-full
Dalpe appeared in only nine games during the 2024–25 AHL season with the Charlotte Checkers and didn’t suit up in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He still endured the disheartening loss in the Final to the Abbotsford Canucks, nevertheless, but he has he has learned to find the silver lining in the two times he fell just short of lifting a trophy.
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“Yes, Vegas got the better of us – the Panthers – in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. And yes, Abbotsford did too in an unforgettable run this year chasing the Calder Cup. I learned so much during those runs. They both unequivocally were the most special times in my career. Even though I didn’t get my name on those beautiful trophies, I know that I truly tried. There’s value in that.”
