SUNRISE, Fla. — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn’t the biggest fan of taking a nearly three-week break in the middle of the season so players can participate in the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

That said, he obviously sees the value.

Bettman spoke at the season-opening game Tuesday between the Florida Panthers — who raised their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship banner — and the Chicago Blackhawks. He made clear again that he knows what having NHL players back on the Olympic stage can do for the game.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Bettman said between the first and second periods. “It’s important to our players. That’s why we’re doing it. Listen, there are lots of reasons that I’m never thrilled about taking a couple of week break in the season. Changes a lot of things.

“But on balance, I think it’ll be worth it, A) for the exposure, B) for the fan engagement, but C) and most importantly, this is and has always been very important to our players. And that’s why we’re doing this.”

The NHL got tons of exposure and engagement during last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off event, and the Olympics are obviously going to be bigger than that tournament.

“We came off of 4 Nations on a high,” Bettman said. “It shows you what our players can do representing hockey and what we think is the best best-on-best in international competition.”

SUNRISE, Fla. — There are a couple of minor dings these days in the Stanley Cup, including one right near the spot where the names of the 2024-25 Florida Panthers are etched in commemoration of their latest title.

Such things happen during championship celebrations. No worries, they’ll be fixed soon.

And the Panthers are hoping for the chance to put a few more dings in the trophy next year.

A new season for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions started Tuesday with the Panthers all gazing toward the top of Amerant Bank Arena to watch another championship banner hoisted to the rafters. It’s basically the same as last year’s — white background, red lettering — with the only change being the year, 2025 instead of 2024.

“This is a new year and it’s a new opportunity for us,” Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. “And when it starts, it’s time to turn the page and start working toward a chance to hopefully do it again.”

The banner swayed over the end of the ice that the Panthers defended twice for Tuesday. By the next home game Thursday, it’ll take its more-permanent place over the team bench alongside the Panthers’ other banners for division and conference titles.

“You kind of look back at what you achieved but at the same time you’re proud of the achievement,” Panthers forward Anton Lundell said. “But it gives you more hunger to do it again.”

Fans lined up for one more picture with the Cup outside the doors of the arena Tuesday afternoon, many of them arriving long before the unusual 5 p.m. weekday start time — one that was used to accommodate being part of a nationally televised tripleheader. Once they came inside, the new scoreboard over center ice displayed a replay of some moments from the third period of Game 6 of last season’s Stanley Cup Final just in case anyone forgot how that season ended.

And after all the warmups were complete, just as they did in June 2024 and June 2025 — the Panthers finished off the Cup championship runs by beating the Edmonton Oilers on home ice in each of the past two title matchups — the fans roared when the trophy was brought onto the rink. Assistant captain Aaron Ekblad did the honors this year, carrying the trophy onto the ice, then hoisting it before placing it onto a stand next to the spot where the banner was being unfurled and raised.

Once the banner was raised, the players lifted their sticks in a salute to the fans.

“We want three! We want three! We want three!” the fans chanted back.

It capped a two-day celebration for the champs. The Panthers’ players and coaches got their championship rings in a private ceremony Monday night.

“Last night was a little bit of a nice reminder for them what the payoff for all that hard work is,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “And it kind of lifts everybody’s spirits and gets them excited about tonight.”

It won’t be an easy road for the Panthers this season. Captain Aleksander Barkov is going to miss several months and potentially the entire season with two torn knee ligaments, an injury suffered 20 minutes into his first practice of training camp. And forward Matthew Tkachuk is out until likely December while recovering from offseason surgery. Barkov and Tkachuk, dressed in street clothes, watched the hoisting from the Florida bench.

The Panthers know how rare this opportunity is. They could be the first back-to-back-to-back NHL champion since the New York Islanders won four consecutive Cups from 1980 through 1983.

“It’ll be up there forever,” Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said of the banner. “This is a special group. And it’s a celebration, but at the same time, it’s a turning of the page. It is a new chapter.”

LAS VEGAS — A day before they open the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday signed veteran forward Alexander Holtz to a two-year, $1.675 million contract.

Holtz, traded to Vegas last offseason from the New Jersey Devils, was on a professional tryout agreement with the Golden Knights this fall after a topsy-turvy first season.

The 23-year-old played in 53 games last season for the Golden Knights, recording just four goals and eight assists. The former first-round selection split his time between Vegas and its AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

Where Holtz settles this season remains to be seen, but he could wind up as one of Bruce Cassidy’s 12 active forwards, a group the coach has been impressed with.

“This could be the best group in terms of player one to 12 that I could ever coach just because of the depth and how it’s lining up for the Vegas Golden Knights,” Cassidy said. “Other teams have ways they access and that’s not disrespect. … Now we’ve got to get it off the paper and onto the rink looking like it’s supposed to.”

For his career, Holtz has garnered 23 goals and 46 points.

Vegas opens up at home Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.