Huberdeau opens up after watching former teammates lift the Cup.

For the Florida Panthers it was the moment they had all dreamed of, and more importantly it was the moment that they had all worked so hard to achieve for so many years.

For Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau however, it may very well have been a punch in the gut.

Huberdeau of course spent the vast majority of his NHL career up until this point as a member of the Florida Panthers, the organization that drafted him 3rd overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, but despite his hard work through some of the organization's worst times he wasn't there to enjoy the fruits of that labor when the goal was finally achieved.

Instead Huberdeau has struggled as a member of the Calgary Flames as his former team has gone on to great success without him, a Stanley Cup Final appearance followed by a Stanley Cup championship one year later, and Huberdeau admits that it hasn't been easy for him to process.

"It is hard to watch the guys lift the Cup," admitted Huberdeau in a French language interview with La Presse. "You tell yourself 'I was there for 10 years, during the most difficult moments.' But that is how you build a team. When you're young you don't really care, you just want to build your career. Now, I find myself back in the same situation, but a little older."

I can't imagine just how hard it must have been for Huberdeau to see many of the faces he worked alongside for so many years achieve the goal that they had all set out to win together without him. In spite of that, Huberdeau showed great class and acknowledged how happy he was for some of his most deserving former teammates.

"I am happy for the guys, they worked hard," said Huberdeau. "[Aleksander] Barkov, I was with him for years, he works so hard. Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett also."

Father Time may be what made watching the Panthers win without him most difficult for Huberdeau, especially considering his age combined with the direction the Flames are currently moving in.

"At my age, it's tough," admitted Huberdeau of a potential roster rebuild in Calgary. "But there can be surprises. We can make the playoffs, even if everyone else is doubting us."