May 25, 2023

Pats Alumnus Mahura & Panthers Reach Stanley Cup Finals

florida panthers Josh Mahura Pats Alumni Stanley Cup Stanley Cup Playoffs

Dante De Caria, Regina Pats

Regina, Sask. – Regina Pats alumnus Josh Mahura and the Florida Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night to win the Eastern Conference Championship, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals where they will face either the Dallas Stars or the Vegas Golden Knights.

“We are all very happy for Josh,” Regina Pats GM and Head Coach John Paddock said. “He is contributing nice minutes for Panthers this post-season and has been very valuable to their group. The position he is in now is where we all dream of being in which is playing for the Stanley Cup.”

Mahura helped the Panthers upset the Boston Bruins in the opening round, defeating the number one ranked club in the NHL in seven games before taking down the favorited Toronto Maple Leafs in five contests. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes thanks to a game-winner from Matthew Tkachuk in the dying seconds.

The St. Albert, Alta. product has played in all 16 games this post-season, picking up two assists and a +2 plus/minus rating. The Panthers win their second ever Eastern Conference Championship and their first since 1996 when they reached finals in their third season of existence.

This past regular season, Mahura produced 16 points (4G-12A) in 82 games, setting career-highs in goals, assists, points and games played. The 6-foot, 190 lb. defenceman spent parts of four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks before joining the Panthers via waivers on October 10, 2022. That then led to a contract extension on February 20 where he signed a one-year deal worth $925,000.

Mahura was acquired by Regina Pats from the Red Deer Rebels during the 2016-17 season. In the 2017-18 season, he tallied 69 points (22G-47A) in 60 games. Mahura becomes the first Regina Pats alumnus to reach the cup finals since Chandler Stephenson did so with the Washington Capitals in 2018.

Florida finished the 2022-23 campaign with 92 points, going 42-32-8-1, finishing second in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings.