Things have worked out very well for Jones, who singed some bridges on his way out of Chicago but now finds himself on the verge of the Cup Final mere months later.

Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers will face Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs East Final on Thursday.

Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand, left, is separated by officials from Carolina Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere (4) during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) AP

He certainly is enjoying life, both on and off the ice. The hope is that another Stanley Cup is on the horizon. Lion and Adalee already got to experience it once, with Gadjovich and wife Allison putting both of them inside the Cup as the Panthers celebrated the victory last June.

NHL referee Chris Rooney hopes to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs after suffering a black eye in a high stick accident during Game 7 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida