Feature Photo: Getty Images
It was fitting that Jonah and Allison Gadjovich added a “twin spin” to the Florida Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
In the aftermath of Florida’s most recent Cup triumph, a familiar scene unfolded as photographers captured images of players and their families celebrating on the ice. One year earlier, Jonah and Allison’s twins – Lion and Adalee – had become a focal point of those celebrations at just a month old.
With Jonah on one side of the Cup and Allison on the other, they placed the siblings gently into the Cup, side by side.
Cue the camera flashes.
“We always have to get as many photos as we can of the twins, including the Cup wins,” said Jonah, who signed with Florida in October 2023. “They have been a big part of the Cup photos over the past two seasons.
“As they grow older, it will be nice for them to look back and see the significance of it,” he continued.
For this Stanley Cup win, the brother and sister duo had to strike a different pose.
“This year, they didn’t fit in it,” said Allison. “They had to sit beside it.”
It was hardly a disappointment, considering the bigger picture.
“Just amazing,” said Allison about the back-to-back wins. “It was a blessing to experience once, but for it to be twice, it’s unreal.”
Jonah didn’t dress for any postseason games during the Panthers’ 2024 Cup run but remained a constant in the locker room – a team-first presence who earned the respect of his teammates.
This year, he also made an impact on the ice.
In his fourth NHL season, Jonah scored two goals and added an assist over 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He also delivered 63 hits – fourth-most on the team – while averaging 5.42 blocked shots per 60 minutes, good for second among Panthers players.
His first NHL postseason goal came during his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut – an overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of the Second Round. The goal was initially credited to linemate Tomas Nosek, but later changed after review showed the puck had deflected off Jonah’s body as he drove toward the net.
“It was so funny,” recalled Jonah. “I didn’t even know I scored the goal. I was just driving the net, and I saw after the game that it had been changed to me. I said to Nosek, ‘I got it buddy… it’s my goal.’ I had to watch the video a little bit after that and try to figure out and pinpoint where it actually hit me because I had no idea.”
Allison found out before Jonah did – and made quite the splash to celebrate.
“I was actually watching the game with some of the other girls, and I jumped in the pool with my clothes on – I was so excited.”
That excitement hasn’t worn off.
A week after the Panthers’ second Stanley Cup victory, the Gadjovich family made the drive from Florida to their offseason home in Welland, Ontario, about an hour south of Toronto.
“As soon as we got in the car for the drive home, everything about the past few weeks has been running through my mind the whole time,” said Jonah, who was selected 55th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2017. “It was fun to have that time to reflect and think about all the great stuff that went on.
“I am definitely going to be on cloud nine for the rest of the summer. It’s pretty quiet out our way. We’ll have plenty of time for family and friends. Honestly, I already have the itch to get back in the gym and get working again. I don’t know – being on such a great team like this one and winning two championships, you see what it takes to achieve that. And you want to keep doing it. I am excited to have another big year and go after that three-peat.”
The 26-year-old forward has worked overtime to reach this point.
During his Ontario Hockey League days with the Owen Sound Attack, he climbed to the top line and scored 46 goals as an 18-year-old. The following year, he made Team Canada for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning gold.
“Jonah was exactly the player a small market like Owen Sound falls in love with because he’s all heart,” said Mark McKelvie, voice of the Attack. “He made great growth over his time with the Attack, and you just got the feeling that he couldn’t be denied reaching whatever goal he was chasing.
“I think his character is his number one attribute and it’s carried him to great success. Every team needs players like Jonah Gadjovich.”
Before joining the Panthers, Jonah played in a fourth-line role with Vancouver and San Jose.
“I have seen all the hard work he puts in and the good teammate that he is,” said Allison. “There is no one more deserving.”
For now, the couple has plenty of memories – and photos – to cherish from the Panthers’ latest triumph.
“It is so special, to be able to share it with Allison and the kiddos,” said Jonah. “It’s incredible. It’s huge for the whole family.
“This time, I was able to have my mom, dad, and brother with us to experience it all. To see them at the game and celebrate with them after was unbelievable. These were all the people who got me to where I am. To be able to share it all with them means the world to me.”
Those memories will take on even more meaning as the twins grow older.
“The first Stanley Cup, they were so young and this time, it was more exciting for them, I think,” said Allison. “It means everything to share those moments as a family. It will be nice for the twins to look back and see those wonderful times.”
Added Jonah, “It’s been hectic at times, but all of it has been amazing. You don’t take any of it for granted. I feel very fortunate to be part of this team and to win two Stanley Cups.”
As for the thought of watching Lion and Adalee following in their father’s skates?
“You never know, maybe we will have one getting drafted into the NHL and one getting drafted into the PWHL,” said Jonah. “We’ll see what happens there.”
If it does, those photos will be just the beginning of another Gadjovich success story.
