For back-to-back champ Panthers, the celebrations will continue before an important offseason begins
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk, front. and defenseman Gustav Forsling pour beer from the Stanley Cup onto fans at the Elbo Room, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the morning after defeating Edmonton in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup championship festivities have included an all-night celebration at a popular beach bar; crowd surfing, pole climbing and impromptu karaoke at a Miami nightclub; a Brad Marchand appearance at Dairy Queen; a few team dinners and a boat ride.
That's just so far. They insist they've got more in them.
'We're not toning it down,' defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. 'We just won two Stanley Cups in a row. We deserve to have a good time.'
The Panthers also partied hard after winning the franchise's first title a year ago. But some players have described those days as a surreal whirlwind of first-time experiences. This time around, the celebrations are different, as the reality of what they accomplished set in.
'There's a different feeling to it,' coach Paul Maurice said during the team's exit interviews on Saturday. 'Last year was more of a dream. ... That's the right word. It was a dream come true. It was euphoric. This year, it was an achievement. It was hard. It was hard all year. It was hard at camp. There were just so many places that if we had broken at that point or failed we would've all understood — 'OK, we did our best. We just couldn't get it done.' We never let that happen.'
The coaches' celebrations, Maurice noted, have been much more subdued compared to last year: They had their first post-championship dinner as a staff Friday night. They joined some players on a boat ride.
'I haven't had a hangover yet,' Maurice said, 'so way ahead of where I was last year.'
Maurice heard about his players' celebrations from his wife, who has shown him a few viral social media posts here and there.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said they're giving themselves 'permission' to celebrate more freely this year because they have already been through the experience.
'And don't get me wrong, it's still amazing,' he added, 'but now everyone knows how to sit back a little and enjoy it, because last year was so hectic. Like it happened to you for the first time ever, and you had been dreaming about it for so long.'
The Panthers in fact celebrated so hard that the Stanley Cup itself got a little banged up. The silver chalice that has endured bumps and bruises throughout its 131-year existence was cracked at the bottom of the bowl the night of Florida's clinching Game 6 win over Edmonton, though Barkov noted the team hasn't received any harsh reprimands from the keepers of the Cup or the Hockey Hall of Fame.
'I think they've seen worse,' he quipped. 'I think every year they have to fix some part of it. But yeah, don't be stupid. Don't take it to the ocean, stuff like that. We should know the rules by now.'
The Panthers' championship parade will be on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday — one of their last opportunities to celebrate together before the players disperse for the summer and general manager Bill Zito begins an important offseason.
Free agency begins July 1, and while a good chunk of Florida's core — including Barkov and stars Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart — are already under long-term contracts, a few key contributors are set for free agency in Marchand, Ekblad and playoff MVP Sam Bennett.
All three players have expressed their desire to stay in Florida.
Bennett
Bennett, who led all players with 15 postseason goals, said at the Miami nightclub E11even that he's not leaving. Marchand has publicly petitioned Zito to give him a contract.
Ekblad, who was drafted by the Panthers in 2014, said Saturday that his representation has had conversations with the Panthers on a potential deal, but 'nothing material yet.'
'I've spent 11 years here,' Ekblad said. 'It's home, and I expect it to be home.'
Tkachuk
Tkachuk, who will play in his fourth season with the Panthers next year, said he believes Florida's window to compete for titles remains wide open, and he hopes to compete with as many pieces from this year's run as possible.
Matthew Tkachuk says he's 50-50 on if he'll need offseason surgery. He's hoping to find out soon pic.twitter.com/GBBD7JBjqB — Alanis Thames (@alanisthames) June 21, 2025
'You're going to have a different roster each and every year,' he said, 'but hopefully the core of guys, we can continue building. With that being said, we've got some unbelievable players that are up for contracts that I hope they get every single cent they can because that's what you want for your best friends. It's time to cash in for some of those boys. Hopefully it's here.'
-- Alanis Thames
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Stanley Cup parades becoming old hat for Florida Panthers
Champagne was swilled and spilled, cigars were smoked and the Stanley Cup was hoisted a few more times, all with about 400,000 people watching. The Florida Panthers are getting pretty good at these parades. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions had their championship parade and rally on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, the same setup as last year — except this time, bright sunshine greeted the champs as opposed to downpours and lightning a year ago. 'It's a little better day today than it was last year, but still, this is amazing,' Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. 'What a day we're having with you guys.' Panthers coach Paul Maurice declared this 'the summer of love' for fans of the team, doing so while wearing another shirt featured his beloved cats Poppy and Penny — a shirt made by his daughter. He wore a similar shirt to last year's parade, also made by his daughter. There were cries of 'Thank you, Boston' when Brad Marchand — who came to Florida in a trade with the rival Bruins — was introduced. Marchand, a free agent, again indicated that he wants to be back with the Panthers, who won this season's Cup by topping the Edmonton Oilers in six games. 'I'm so happy that I don't have to play against these guys anymore,' Marchand said, pointing to his Florida teammates. Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk drew loud roars when he told the crowd that he 'would like to apologize to absolutely ... nobody because a double champ does whatever ... he wants,' copying a line used by Conor McGregor when he became a double UFC champion. 'I could get used to this,' Tkachuk said as he looked out at the crowd — some of whom were in the water, with most others packed hundreds of yards deep down the sand. Tkachuk then thanked team owner Vincent Viola and general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito for trading for him three years ago, saying it changed his life. Defenceman Aaron Ekblad, just as he did last year, took a shot at golfer Brooks Koepka who famously went to a Panthers game once to heckle the veteran defenceman. Forward Sam Reinhart, who scored four goals in the clinching win over Edmonton, missed last year's parade because a close friend was getting married. He didn't miss Sunday. 'The only thing I've heard all day is how this is the best parade that's ever been had in South Florida,' Reinhart said. 'Thank God I missed last year and not this year.' Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky thanked the crowd, and said he hoped there was another parade next year. And Sam Bennett, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, heard the crowd chanting their hopes of him getting a new contract with the Panthers. So, he ended his speech with the same request. 'Eight more years, please,' Bennett said.
National Post
2 hours ago
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks: Resilience is name of game amid heat to capture Calder Cup on road
Article content 'We got on a roll in overtime, had some quality looks, and (Max) Sasson hits a post. The guys are ticked off. It would have been an incredible evening for the fans. It would have been a storybook ending, but we're not a storybook team. Article content 'We grind. We work for what we get.' Article content There's reason for optimism Monday. Article content Article content Arturs Silovs, 24, is capable of being a difference-maker with sparkling post-season numbers. He's 15-7-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average, .931 saves percentage and five shutouts, one short of the league record. Article content Linus Karlsson, 25, scored twice Saturday, had eight shots, and leads AHL playoff scoring with 25 points (13-12). He's also second in shots (64) behind linemate the 24-year-old Sasson (72), who had 14 post-season points (5-9). Arshdeep Bains, 24, rounds out the line. He also scored in Game 5 and had five shots. Article content Karlsson accepted a challenge to be more of a leader in his third AHL season, and in recalls to the parent Canucks, his willingness to establish a net presence bodes well for next NHL season. He had 39 points (23-16) in 32 AHL regular-season games this season. Article content 'It's just what he does — it's just the kind of player he is,' lauded Malhotra. 'The offensive numbers stand out, but we look at the number of puck battles he wins and coming out of the corner. He got to the dirty areas and gets to the net front. Article content 'He's not a fancy player, but extremely effective in doing little things well and gets rewarded for it.' Article content LINUS KARLSSON WITH SOME MOVES FOR THE LEAD 🚨 He has two tonight and it's 3-2 Canucks @abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy #AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks — FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 22, 2025 Article content It's also imperative for the leadership group to be prominent Monday. Captain Chase Wouters has but four playoff points (2-2) but is adept at shot blocking and the tough stuff that doesn't show up on highlight reels. Article content 'If I'm honest, the room is kind of running itself,' admitted Malhotra. 'That's a large part of where we are right now. It's the ability to manage the emotions of the room and turning the page. We'll be ready to go.' Article content Wouters, 25, is an undrafted grinder and his 28 regular-season points (10-28) in 72 outings don't tell the whole story. Article content 'We left it all out there and it's unfortunate,' he said of the Game 5 setback. 'We'll look at film an regroup. Even after wins, it's the next day and it's like nothing happened and that's been our mindset all year. We're looking forward to the challenge. They (Checkers) are a great team and they're not going to go away. Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘This is amazing': Panthers celebrate 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup with another parade
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Champagne was swilled and spilled, cigars were smoked and the Stanley Cup was hoisted a few more times, all with about 400,000 people watching. The Florida Panthers are getting pretty good at these parades. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions had their championship parade and rally on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, the same setup as last year — except this time, bright sunshine greeted the champs as opposed to downpours and lightning a year ago. 'It's a little better day today than it was last year, but still, this is amazing,' Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. 'What a day we're having with you guys.' Panthers coach Paul Maurice declared this 'the summer of love' for fans of the team, doing so while wearing another shirt featured his beloved cats Poppy and Penny — a shirt made by his daughter. He wore a similar shirt to last year's parade, also made by his daughter. There were cries of 'Thank you, Boston' when Brad Marchand — who came to Florida in a trade with the rival Bruins — was introduced. Marchand, a free agent, again indicated that he wants to be back with the Panthers, who won this season's Cup by topping the Edmonton Oilers in six games. 'I'm so happy that I don't have to play against these guys anymore,' Marchand said, pointing to his Florida teammates. Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk drew loud roars when he told the crowd that he 'would like to apologize to absolutely … nobody because a double champ does whatever … he wants,' copying a line used by Conor McGregor when he became a double UFC champion. 'I could get used to this,' Tkachuk said as he looked out at the crowd — some of whom were in the water, with most others packed hundreds of yards deep down the sand. Tkachuk then thanked team owner Vincent Viola and general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito for trading for him three years ago, saying it changed his life. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, just as he did last year, took a shot at golfer Brooks Koepka who famously went to a Panthers game once to heckle the veteran defenseman. Forward Sam Reinhart, who scored four goals in the clinching win over Edmonton, missed last year's parade because a close friend was getting married. He didn't miss Sunday. 'The only thing I've heard all day is how this is the best parade that's ever been had in South Florida,' Reinhart said. 'Thank God I missed last year and not this year.' Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky thanked the crowd, and said he hoped there was another parade next year. And Sam Bennett, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, heard the crowd chanting their hopes of him getting a new contract with the Panthers. So, he ended his speech with the same request. 'Eight more years, please,' Bennett said. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
