For back-to-back champ Panthers, the celebrations will continue before an important offseason begins

Associated Press
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — 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, 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, 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.
'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.'
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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