Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine was among the many hockey stars in attendance at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night, watching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.
He wasn’t there as a rival or competitor; this time, he was simply a proud friend, cheering on fellow Finn and longtime friend Aleksander Barkov, who captained the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup title.
Patrik Laine Proudly Backs Montreal Canadiens While Celebrating Barkov’s Cup Win
The Panthers dominated Game 6 with a 5-1 win, clinching the series 4-2 and cementing
Aleksander Barkov’s place in NHL history. With the victory, he became the first European captain ever to lead his team to two Stanley Cup championships.
Laine, clearly proud of Barkov, even shared a video on Instagram capturing the moment NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman presented the Cup to the Florida captain. The clip showed Barkov hoisting the Cup triumphantly as the home crowd erupted and teammates surrounded him with cheers.
Later, the two Finnish stars met behind the scenes and posed for a photo, symbolizing mutual respect and friendship. Barkov’s postgame outfit showed evidence of a locker room celebration in full swing, his clothes marked by the telltale signs of spilled champagne and joyful chaos that comes with winning the Cup.
Last night when we were leaving my friend told him he should come to Florida and his response was
“I think I’m good in Montreal, we beat you 4 times in the regular season” 😂
Can’t even be mad at that response lmao #TimeToHunt https://t.co/abd8dJY4OJ
— David (@David954FLA) June 19, 2025
But what truly made waves wasn’t the celebration, it was Laine’s off-camera remark to a Panthers fan. As they were leaving the arena, a Florida supporter jokingly suggested that Laine should join the Panthers and reunite with Barkov in Florida. Laine didn’t shy away from giving a confident response: “I think I’m good in Montreal, we beat you 4 times in the regular season.” The fan who shared the story even admitted they couldn’t be mad at the response, and Laine took pride in standing by his current team.
At 27, Patrik Laine is under contract with the Canadiens at an annual cap hit of $8.7 million through the summer of 2026.
Despite some ups and downs, including injuries that limited him to 52 games this season, he still managed to record 33 points, including 20 goals, showing his scoring ability remains intact. All signs point to him continuing with Montreal next season.
