Lord Stanley’s Cup was back at the beach Wednesday morning, and local hockey fans were back on top of the world as the Florida Panthers celebrated their second straight championship in signature South Florida style. The only thing missing was a dip in the ocean, a letdown for fans hoping for a repeat of last year’s baptism ceremony.
The NHL’s championship trophy arrived at the iconic Elbo Room on Fort Lauderdale beach at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, greeted by a raucous crowd that began to gather before sunrise to welcome its return like a favorite old drinking buddy — and escorted by the players, who earned the right to fill it with beer, hoist it in the air and empty it onto a mob willing to soak in every drop.
This year’s celebration may have lacked last year’s spontaneity, but fans made up for it in enthusiasm, crowd size and sheer volume. Bigger and more boisterous than last summer’s oceanfront blockbuster, the Panthers’ Wednesday morning sequel, let’s call it “Paws II,” deserved its own tagline: You’re gonna need a bigger bandwagon.
The Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship with a series-clinching 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: South Florida is officially a hockey town.
WATCH LIVE: Webcams capture the Panthers’ Stanley Cup party at the Elbo Room
The celebration was not confined to the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and A1A. Throughout the region, Panthers fans came out to show their pride, longtime fans welcoming those just getting around to realizing we have a team worth bragging about.
When employee Alexis Appio, 22, opened the Baptist Health Iceplex store at 10 a.m., she said there was already a line of about 40 people forming. “I was afraid that if I walked in, they would crowd behind me and try to get in,” she said.
As a Panthers fan herself, she said this was an exciting time to start her job less than two weeks ago. “I love the energy,” she said. “I love it when people come in super excited to shop. And I also love looking at the merch myself.”
Chantelle Iacone, 40, stopped by the store Wednesday with her daughter, just like they did last year when the Panthers won.
“We wanted to make this another tradition, two years in a row,” she said.
And yes, they’re already rooting for a third win.
When the Panthers won the Cup last season, the trophy’s beer-soaked frat party at the Elbo Room was a kooky surprise after arriving at the iconic dive bar on a golf cart escorted by Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and others.
Bennett, a pending free agent who could end up leaving the team, appeared on the balcony to cheers of “MVP! MVP!”
As he poured beer from Cup to crowd, they erupted in chants of “Eight more years! Eight more years!”
He loved it, pumping his fist and chanting along, “Eight more years!” Then the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the best performance in the playoffs chugged a beer and waved. Can he even consider leaving all this?
With last year’s celebration as a template, fans were determined not to miss the party this year.
“Are you kidding? I saw last year. I had to be here!” said Aly Moffatt, of Plantation, who had been standing outside the Elbo Room since just after 6 a.m. with a few dozen others, many in Panthers jerseys.
Nick D’Attilo arrived at the 2024 celebration at 11 a.m. and felt as though he missed all the fun. On Wednesday, he was one of the first to arrive, brushing his teeth at the beach at 7 a.m. “I slept at a friend’s house, he woke me up early and now we’re here,” D’Attilo said. “It’s awesome.”
For the record, the crowd of a few dozen people early Wednesday first saw the Stanley Cup when Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov pulled up to the Elbo Room about 6:30 a.m. He stepped out and hoisted the Cup overhead, then got back in and drove away.
I’m in https://t.co/p8UK4wsvEB
— Matthew Tkachuk (@TKACHUKycheese_) June 18, 2025
Another member of the 6 a.m. group, Toni Clapp moved to Fort Lauderdale 12 years ago as a hockey novice. Her boyfriend, Ryan Janovitz, of Fort Lauderdale, has been going to Panthers games “since before they started throwing rats on the ice.”
They were at the Elbo Room with about three hours’ sleep after watching Tuesday night’s historic win.
“I’m fairly new to it, until I started dating (Janovitz),” Clapp said. “When I first moved here I was like, ‘What, who are the Panthers?’
“Now I’m a huge fan just like the rest of them,” she said.
“I don’t know that this (second) Cup is more special than the first, but knowing it could be a dynasty is special,” said Justin Lubor, of Davie, a Panthers fan since 1993. “Something special is building up. It’s special for the community and special for the fans who have been here since the beginning.”
West Palm Beach resident Mike Castillo brought wife Katie, son Mikey, 11, and daughter Emma, 3, to see their heroes. Castillo attended the Panthers franchise’s first game in 1993 with his father.
Wearing a Barkov jersey while looking up at the Elbo Room’s second-floor balcony, Mikey said his goal was “to see any player.”
His effort was rewarded. Bennett and Tkachuk were joined by Barkov, Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer, Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell.
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As 8 a.m. approached, the hour when everyone seemed to think the Cup would arrive, Geri Mercer, of Fort Lauderdale, could barely be contained.
“I can’t stand it — this is so exciting,” said Geri Mercer, of Fort Lauderdale, wearing a Tkachuk jersey. “I was up until 4 watching highlights. Matthew getting that goal was so cool.”
And while the sight of the sport’s biggest prize being filled with Budweiser and spilled off a balcony may not have raised many eyebrows in the corporate offices of the NHL, Tkachuk hinted he was warned against repeating some of last year’s victory hangover shenanigans.
Apparently, the League was not amused when the Stanley Cup was dunked into seawater. “I think they’ll yell at me if I take it in the water this year,” Tkachuk said.
“To the ocean! To the ocean!” the crowd chanted late Wednesday morning. The Cup stayed put.
Florida Panthers right wing Sam Reinhart lifts the Stanley Cup while riding west on Las Olas Boulevard in a golf cart after the team brought the trophy to the Elbo Room on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
The team started to pull away from the Elbo Room with the Cup just before 12:20 p.m. Even hockey gods are not powerful enough to beat South Florida traffic. The Panthers found their golf carts stopped on the Las Olas Bridge. They took it well, drinking beer, greeting fans, with Tkachuk holding the Stanley Cup over his head for the cheering crowd to see. Police on horseback eventually got people to move along.
A celebratory parade is set for Sunday in Fort Lauderdale to honor the back-to-back champions.
Staff writers Lauren Brensel, Cameron Priester and Adam Lichtenstein contributed to this report.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Originally Published: June 18, 2025 at 8:26 AM EDT