FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — Carter Verhaeghe finally got his day with the Stanley Cup.

The 30-year-old celebrated with the Stanley Cup for the third time — he previously won one as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning — and did so on a momentous occasion at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility at the Baptist Health IcePlex facility on Saturday afternoon.

Verhaeghe hosted members of Best Buddies International, Special Olympics Florida and the Florida Panthers Adaptive Hockey Team while taking pictures with fans with the Stanley Cup. Members of the groups skated for an hour as they celebrated the Panthers’ second Stanley Cup with one of the core players of the franchise.

“My wife really got me into it, and I’ve been working with these organizations,” says Verhaeghe. “They’re such great organizations, and be able to share the cup day with them, it’s been awesome. I can’t wait to see everyone out here skating around. It’s great.”

The veteran forward had previously celebrated his day with the Stanley Cup after the first Panthers title in Canada. This time around, he basked in the glory with some of the Panthers’ biggest fans as the last player on the team to have a day with the cup.

“I’m getting more out of it than them, I think seeing them so happy and just enjoying being being together, and being included in everything,” says Verhaeghe of the joy he gets out of seeing everyone celebrate with the cup. “We have three great organizations here, and seeing them all together, making new friends. To see them with the cup too, they’re going crazy. It’s so special for them to have this opportunity too. It’s great sharing with them.”

The Ontario, Canada native details what it’s like celebrating the cup in Florida for the first time.

“This is my first year doing it in Florida, so I’m so happy to be able to bring it back here and kind of share with the community that has given so much to me,” says Verhaeghe. “I’m just trying to get back a little bit here. I’ve done it in my hometown where I grew up a couple times. But this one is different. This one’s just a little extra special.”

Verhaeghe will be looking to make it four Stanley Cups by the age of 30 next season. The Panthers will open training camp this month and will open their preseason slate on Sunday, Sep. 21 before starting the regular season on Oct. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ll be looking to become the first three-peat team since the early 1980’s New York Islanders.

“More of the same stuff we learned the last two years, that’s our goal,” says Verhaeghe on the key to three-peating.