The Panthers earned themselves a beach day.
The morning after winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in history with a 2-1 Game 7 victory over the Oilers, Florida players began celebrating with the trophy in hand.
On Tuesday morning, players brought the Cup to Fort Lauderdale’s Elbo Room Beach Bar, paraded it around the bar and then carried it to the beach, where star forward Matthew Tkachuk swam in the Atlantic Ocean with the historic trophy.
As throngs of fans in Panthers uniforms crowded the bar hoping to catch a glimpse of the NHL’s newest champions, the Panthers responded to a crowd whispering “We are the Champions” by pouring beer from cups on the second-floor balcony into the eager mouths of the crowd below.
The party that began on the ice and in the locker rooms at Amerante Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, shows no signs of slowing down.
“I come here a lot,” Tkachuk said. He told the Sun-Sentinel“I haven’t slept yet, but I’m okay. I’m a little tired, but I feel refreshed and ready to go.”
Following the big win, Tkachuk promised to throw some crazy parties all summer long.
“In a few days we’re probably going to have the biggest party ever here in South Florida.” He said“I can’t wait.”
Florida beat the in-state rivals Lightning (4-1), Bruins (4-2) and Rangers (4-2) among others, before defeating the high-scoring Oilers in seven games.
That’s not to say Edmonton had it easy, as they rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final to advance to Monday’s winner-take-all final.
Now they’ll have a chance to replicate the 2018 offseason, when Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s celebration became a spectacle across Washington, D.C.
Rest and relaxation will come in time.
For the Panthers, it’s time to party on the beach.
