Sam Reinhart's message to Panthers fans reveals why he's missing the parade

The Florida Panthers were down three games to zero. When they took the ice Monday for Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers were playing to win the Stanley Cup and to avoid the major embarrassment of blowing a 3-0 series lead. If Florida had lost this game, it could have been called the worst failure in NHL history. However, Sam Reinhart had a lot to say about it.

The Oilers had largely dominated the Panthers in Games 4-6, but the Panthers seemed to find their groove in the first period of Game 7. They scored the first goal of the game on a Carter Verhaeghe pass-through and escaped the period with the score tied at 1-1.

Still, the game was up for grabs in the second period when Reinhart made his statement. He carried the puck over the boards on the right wing and when the Edmonton defense couldn't cut him off, he fired the puck on goal as he reached the faceoff circle. Edmonton goalie Sam Skinner didn't have a good view of the shot and left some space on the short side when the puck found the back of the net at 15:11. The relief among the Panthers and their fans was palpable, and the Panthers defense held on to that lead until the end of the period.

At the start of the third period, many expected Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to score the tying goal. However, Florida's defense refused to give in and as the minutes ticked by, they maintained the advantage. The Oilers looked exhausted in the final minutes and the Panthers survived the period and took the 2-1 victory. Their fans roared their approval and celebration ensued.

Panthers celebrate their first Stanley Cup and celebrate all week long

Moments after the final whistle, Panthers players threw their gloves and sticks into the air and cheered with back-slapping and cheers. Stanley Cup goaltender Philip Pritchard rolled the Stanley Cup onto the ice at Amerant Bank Arena and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman presented the legendary trophy.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was the first to skate with the Cup, and his teammates followed. Reinhart got the chance to happily skate with the Stanley Cup and celebrate with his teammates and fans in the days that followed.

However, Reinhart could not participate during the championship parade, and he explained why he had to withdraw from the event.

“I won’t be able to be there,” Reinhart said. “It’s pretty sad, but my best friend is getting married and I can’t miss that. I have to be there for him. I’ll definitely be there in spirit and I hope to see you all very soon.”

Reinhart scored 57 goals during the regular season and 10 more in the playoffs. So it’s clear that Panthers fans won’t blame him for his absence.