Brad Marchand loses out on 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy race to Panthers teammate Sam Bennett by a meager 8 points 

Brad Marchand missed out on winning the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy by just eight points. His Florida Panthers teammate Sam Bennett won the award after a close vote.

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association selected Bennett as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Bennett finished with 76 points, while Marchand earned 68 points. Votes were based on a 5-3-1 system for first, second, and third places. Writers submitted their ballots with 10 minutes remaining in Game 6.

Bennett got 11 first-place votes out of 18. Marchand received the other seven first-place votes. Every writer who picked Marchand first gave Bennett second place. Bennett’s playoff performance helped him win. He scored 15 goals in the playoffs, setting a new Panthers record. He also scored 12 goals on the road, setting a new NHL record.

Bennett did not score in Game 6 but played an important role in the earlier games. He found the net in the opening game of each playoff round and scored in five consecutive games during the Stanley Cup Final. Bennett finished the Final with five goals, with only Sam Reinhart (seven) and Brad Marchand scoring more.

Brad Marchand joined the Panthers on March 7 before the NHL trade deadline. He quickly became an important part of the team. He scored big goals in the Final against Edmonton. Marchand helped them win the Stanley Cup.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished third in Conn Smythe voting with 10 points. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl got seven points. Gustav Forsling also earned one point.

Brad Marchand's next goal is to make "Team Canada roster" in 2026 Olympics

Brad Marchand is still in the mix for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He was not one of the first six players named on Monday, but general manager Doug Armstrong said Marchand has a good chance to make the final roster.

However, Marchand's spot went to teammate Sam Reinhart.

“Look, it’s the highest achievement you can have as a Canadian-born player, to be part of Team Canada," Marchand said via NHL.com. "...Something I’m going to shoot for... It’s still a long way away, right? "So, it doesn’t matter what’s said right now or how things play out right now, it’s how you perform in the upcoming regular season (that's going to decide the final roster)," he added.

Marchand scored six goals in the Stanley Cup Final alone. Additionally, this playoff season, he has scored 20 points in 22 games, including 10 goals.

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Edited by Veer Badani