The Florida Panthers made history Tuesday night by becoming the third team in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. They also became the fourth team in NHL history to defeat the same opponent in consecutive years for the championship trophy.
How does a team commemorate its second consecutive Stanley Cup victory? For the Panthers, the answer was simple: return to the legendary Elbo Room bar in Fort Lauderdale, trophy in tow, for the second year running.
As dawn broke, Captain Aleksander Barkov arrived with the prized Stanley Cup, making an entrance fittingly transported in a police vehicle.
“Let`s enjoy this, but a three-peat is a very good possibility,” Barkov shared from the backseat of the vehicle during an interview.
Reports indicate that key players including Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling, Barkov, and many other Panthers were spotted bringing the Stanley Cup inside the famed beach bar in the early morning hours Wednesday. It`s probably safe to assume the group hadn`t gotten much sleep since Game 6 concluded.
The majority of the Panthers roster eventually made their way to the Elbo Room. They hoisted the Stanley Cup from the bar`s balcony overlooking S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, allowing cheering fans below to catch a glimpse of the hardware. In a moment of playful celebration, players were even seen pouring beer into the Cup and showering the crowd beneath.
After their 2023 Stanley Cup triumph, Tkachuk famously took the trophy for a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. That particular stunt wasn`t repeated this year, as the NHL reportedly clarified that the Stanley Cup should not enter the ocean following last year`s lively antics.
While Wednesday`s celebration at the Elbo Room was undeniably epic, it won`t be the final opportunity for the team and their devoted fans to publicly mark this historic victory.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis has confirmed that the official Panthers championship parade is scheduled to take place on Sunday. The public celebration is expected to travel along Fort Lauderdale beach, commencing at noon.
The Panthers` 2023 championship parade attracted an estimated crowd of at least 200,000 fans, suggesting this year`s event will likely draw a massive turnout as well.
