Sergei Bobrovsky was on his A-game in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.
Facing the high-powered Oilers' offense, Bobrovsky stymied Connor McDavid and company, tallying 32 saves in Florida's winning effort. That included stopping a pair of early breakaway attempts in the first period. The Panthers were out-shot 32-18 by Edmonton in the first game, but won 3-0 behind a shutout from Bobrovsky.
Bobrovsky, in his age-35 season, has an intriguing career that some day will make for an interesting Hall of Fame case. He is one of only six players since 1981 to win multiple Vezina Trophies. He has now led a team to two Stanley Cups. Bobrovsky's also been wildly inconsistent, with three seasons with goals-against average (GAA) rates above 3.00 and five seasons with save percentages below .910. And his early postseason track record was largely marred by significant struggles.
Bob has been on a bender over the past two postseasons, however, as he has helped power Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. And if he plays like he did in Game 1, this trip might be better than last year's.
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Has Bobrovsky won a Stanley Cup in his career? Here's what you need to know.
Has Sergei Bobrovsky won a Stanley Cup?
Bobrovsky has not won a Stanley Cup in his career. He's led the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances, but the first came up empty in five games to the Golden Knights.
The veteran goalie has led several teams to the playoffs in his career. He took the Blue Jackets to the playoffs four times in his career, including once in which he powered Columbus to a stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning in the first round.
Before the 2019 playoffs, however, Bobrovsky had largely struggled when minding the net. In 24 games (19 starts), Bobrovsky had posted a 3.49 GAA and .891 save percentage. He had a record of 5-14 as a starter.
Since then, however, he's largely been sensational. In 63 games, he has a record of 36-26 with a 2.64 GAA and .911 save percentage.
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Sergei Bobrvosky career timeline
Philadelphia Flyers
Bobrovsky began his career as an undrafted signee with the Flyers back in May 2010. Before the 2010-11 season began, he earned a role on the starting roster following an injury to starter Michael Leighton, and by opening night, he was named the starter for the season-opener. He won that game 3-2 against the Penguins, becoming the youngest goalie in team history to win a Flyers' season-opener.
There was plenty of promise shown throughout his rookie season as he secured the starting role, going 28-13 with a .915 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average. He placed seventh in Calder Trophy voting. However, after a rough postseason, the Flyers signed Ilya Bryzgalov to become the team's starting goalie.
Bobrovsky backed up Bryzgalov in the 2011-12 campaign and was inconsistent in the spot starting role, having a 3.02 GAA and .899 save percentage. The Flyers traded Bobrovsky to the Blue Jackets for three draft picks.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The 2012-13 season was shortened due to a lockout, but when the campaign resumed, Bobrovsky emerged as one of the brightest young goalies in the league. He had a 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage with a 21-11 record. He had four shutouts, the first four of his career, en route to winning the Vezina Trophy with 73.3 percent of the vote and placed fifth in Hart Memorial Trophy voting.
Bobrovsky had another standout regular season in 2013-14 with a 2.38 GAA and .923 save percentage and led the Blue Jackets to the young franchise's second postseason appearance, but he struggled mightily against the Penguins in a six-game first-round defeat.
There were a pair of modest seasons for Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets in 2014-15 and 2015-16, but he returned to star form in the 2016-17 campaign. He led the NHL in save percentage (.931) and GAA (2.06), and notched seven shutouts. Bobrovsky received 92 percent of the Vezina Trophy vote to run away with the honors and placed third in Hart Memorial Voting behind McDavid and Sidney Crosby. The Jackets still struggled in the postseason, losing in five games to the Penguins.
Bobrovsky had two more standout campaigns in 2017-18 and 2018-19, placing top 10 in Vezina Trophy voting in both seasons, but the latter campaign is the one for which he will be most remembered in Columbus. He led the league in shutouts with nine to help the Blue Jackets sneak in as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Facing the Presidents Trophy-winning Lightning, Bobrovsky posted an impressive .932 save percentage as the Blue Jackets stunned Tampa Bay in a historic four-game sweep to stun the Lightning.
Columbus was eliminated by the Bruins in six games, and Bobrovsky hit free agency. He signed a seven-year, $70 million with the Panthers, later explaining he had been suspended by Columbus at one point and he felt uncomfortable with the franchise.
Florida Panthers
The first year in Florida was a disappointment for Bobrovsky, who struggled to a career-worst 3.23 GAA and .900 save percentage. His next campaign wasn't much better as he had a 2.91 GAA and .906 save percentage, and Florida was eliminated in the postseason to the in-state rival Lightning.
Bobrovsky appeared to regain some of his old form in the 2021-22 campaign. He led the league with 39 goalie wins and had a .913 save percentage and 2.67 GAA with three shutouts. He had a .906 save percentage against the Capitals as Florida won the series against Washington, though the team suffered a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Lightning in the second round.
The 2022-23 campaign was a season of two halves: regular and post. The regular season was disappointing. Bobrovsky had a 3.07 GAA and .901 save percentage in his age-34 campaign, again bringing up concern regarding the massive contract Florida signed to the two-time Vezina winner.
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The Panthers still reached the playoffs, and Bob turned it up to another level. Bobrovsky went 11-2, posting a .935 save percentage as he powered the Panthers to the franchise's second-ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance. In the series defeat to the Golden Knights, Bobrovsky was peppered by the Las Vegas offense, surrendering 21 goals in five games for a .844 save percentage.
Fresh off the most postseason success he had in his career, Bobrovsky was primed for a true rebound season. He finished as a Vezina Trophy finalist in the 2023-24 season, leading the NHL with six shutouts. Bobrovsky also posted a .915 save percentage and 2.37 GAA, all his best since signing with Florida.
The postseason run has at times been a mixed bag. In Bobrovsky's five playoff losses before the Stanley Cup Finals, he allowed 19 goals, averaging 3.8 goals per game. In his 12 wins prior to the Finals, he allowed 19, averaging 1.6 per game.
Sergei Bobrovsky contract details
Bobrovsky signed a massive seven-year, $70 million deal with the Panthers ahead of the 2019-20 season. Per Spotrac, the cap hit is $10 million each year, though the cash paid out to the star goalie was largely frontloaded.
Here's a breakdown of his deal:
| Year | Cap hit | Cash |
| 2019-20 | $10 million | $11.5 million |
| 2020-21 | $10 million | $12 million |
| 2021-22 | $10 million | $12 million |
| 2022-23 | $10 million | $12 million |
| 2023-24 | $10 million | $10 million |
| 2024-25 | $10 million | $6.5 million |
| 2025-26 | $10 million | $6 million |
