Sergei Bobrovsky just addressed his exit from the Florida Panthers on Friday. This is just days after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent. 

When speaking with Toronto reporters after his three-year contract worth $21 million with the Leafs became official, he talked about his exit.

TSN reporter Mark Masters tweeted that the veteran goaltender explained the exit was more about business than it being personal.

"It's a business. The organization decided to move in a different direction, and that's pretty much it. I respect that. I got nothing against (them). That's the hockey, and they're responsible for their part, and I respect that,” he explained without any bitterness.

“In my position, I only want to keep the appreciation and thank everything they have done for me. It's been an amazing journey for me, and I can't thank them enough for everything they have done," Bobrovsky added.

He also talked about the Markstrom trade, which made the situation clear. "Pretty much on that last day when the trade happened with Jacob Markstrom, that was pretty much the end," he said.

Bobrovsky spent seven years with Florida, which included back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. But both sides could not agree on a new deal once his contract expired. 

Rather than re-signing him, the Panthers went on to acquire Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils. This was a hint that Bobrovsky's time with the franchise was over. Bobrovsky has said he wanted to return to Florida, but the organization chose a different path instead.

Bobrovsky finds new home in Toronto

Two days after the trade was announced, Bobrovsky spoke warmly about his new team.

"Toronto is the capital of hockey in my mind," he said during his time with the media, as reported by NHL.com. 

"The fans are excited. There is going to be a great atmosphere, and I'm excited about that. It's a big responsibility, and I'm looking forward to helping this team win."

It is a three-year deal which is worth $7 million on average annual value. It is down from the $10 million he used to earn annually in Florida. 

In Toronto, Bobrovsky is back with Anthony Stolarz, who was his former backup in Florida; this forms a new goaltending option for the franchise.

In over 806 career regular-season games with Philadelphia, Columbus, and Florida, Bobrovsky holds a strong 456-266-58 record, a .912 save percentage, and 53 shutouts. These numbers easily put him on the list of best goaltenders in NHL history.

The Panthers are now set to move on with Markstrom and Akira Schmid for the next season without the goaltender who backstopped their run to the championship.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason