As sports fans, the best thing you can probably experience is seeing non-believers finally come around. And that’s exactly what the Florida Panthers fans might be feeling right now. As the defending champs host the Edmonton Oilers, there’s one special face on the rinkside that would definitely make many home fans smile in glee. Or would it be purely a vengeful smirk?
When the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals began, many NHL analysts didn’t believe that the Cats had what it takes to defend the title successfully. Former NBA superstar and basketball analyst Charles Barkley was also among those who had posited that the Panthers wouldn’t go too far in the postseason. Talk about swallowing your own words, huh? And now, as Paul Maurice & Co. warmed up to bring the Cup back home by taking down the Oilers in Game 6, Barkely was on the spot to see the team he discounted twice in the playoffs lift the coveted Stanley Cup, should the Miami team win tonight.
A post by NHLonTNT on X from June 17 shows the celebrity basketball expert at the Amerant Bank Arena to cover today’s Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers match. “Looks like we have a new rinkside reporter for warmups tonight,” reads the caption of the post, as the accompanying image shows Barkley waiting his turn to join the warmup coverage for Game 6 at the Cats’ home arena.
Looks like we have a new rinkside reporter for warmups tonight… pic.twitter.com/46svB5MBRc
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) June 17, 2025
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