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Miami Herald
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Panthers have been living up Cup celebration and they're ‘not toning it down'
The Florida Panthers certainly have been enjoying themselves the past few days after winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup. They have made multiple trips to the Elbo Room on Fort Lauderdale Beach, a stop at the Miami nightclub E11even, gone out to team dinners and taken a boat ride. Things have gotten chaotic at times, but after becoming just the seventh team in the expansion era of the NHL to win the Cup in consecutive years, yeah, they're taking the time to celebrate. '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. We have good people in that room, so anything…if people think we're crossing the line, there's no chance. We're just having a good time, it's pure excitement. There's obviously a respect factor, and, you know, personally, I try to toe that line, but, no, it's all fun, and you know, we deserve it, for sure.' Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said the team is able to enjoy itself more this time around because they 'know the feeling already a little bit.' 'Don't get me wrong, it's still amazing,' Barkov said, 'but now everyone just knows how to sit back a little bit and enjoy it because last year was so hectic. It happened and it's your first time ever, and you've been dreaming about it for such a long time. I feel like this year, everyone gave permission to themselves to enjoy it. We've had a good time.' Who's been the party MVP at this point? 'I don't see how Barky doesn't get his jersey retired at E11even,' star winger Matthew Tkachuk, one of the rowdier players on the team, said with a smile. 'He was incredible. E-Rod [Evan Rodrigues] was on another level. Marchy [Brad Marchand] has been Marchy. I'd say Reino [Sam Reinhart] has been really good, too. It's been great for me. I'm just able to hide in the weeds this year, and I feel like I've been doing pretty good, as well. But there's been some guys that have put in quite a shift. It's been an impressive outing from the team.' Now, the partying has led to some dings and dents on the Stanley Cup. Has the team heard from the Hall of Fame about that? 'No. I think they've seen worse,' Barkov said. 'I think every week, they have to go and 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.' Tkachuk said the celebration will be a little more subdued on Saturday night before the team takes to Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday afternoon for its championship parade. 'I think you just ride the wave,' Reinhart said. 'When you put so much hard work into it, it makes it that much more fun going through it. And, you know, being around each other the last few days.'
NBC Sports
13-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Marchessault gets standing ovation in emotional return to T-Mobile Arena against Golden Knights
LAS VEGAS — Nearly a dozen fans stood outside Saturday morning, waiting for Jonathan Marchessault and his teammates to appear so they could get autographs. It was a normal sight outside the Golden Knights practice facility, but this was at T-Mobile Arena as the Nashville Predators had their morning skate in preparation for that night's game against Vegas. That game was Marchessault's first in that arena in an opposing uniform. One of the most beloved players in Vegas' short history — part of the inaugural team that called itself the Golden Misfits — received a rousing ovation when the 1 1/2-minute video tribute was played at the first media timeout. Marchessault then skated alone on the ice as fans chanted, 'Marchy! Marchy!' Marchessault, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL playoffs MVP in leading the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup championship two years ago, appeared to tear up during the tribute. 'I'm an emotional guy normally, so we'll see how it goes,' Marchessault said before the game. 'Obviously, it's going to be an exciting time for me. It's such a great building, great organization and definitely happy for their success still. I'm not even surprised a little bit. I think the structure and the organization is so great from top to bottom.' Marchessault scored a goal early in the third period, but the Golden Knights won 5-3 to clinch the Pacific Division title. 'It never happened scoring in 'The Fortress' and being that silent,' Marchessault said afterward. 'It was a great atmosphere, great building. Happy to see the fans and the organization. I couldn't say more good things about top to bottom here.' He played seven seasons with the Golden Knights and is the career leader in goals with 192 and points with 417. Marchessault, 34, had hoped to sign a new contract to stay in Vegas, but he and the club failed to reach an agreement and Nashville signed him to a five-year, $27.5 million deal. But it has been a difficult season. Marchessault's mother died in September at 70 from a heart attack, just a day before his number was retired by the junior hockey Quebec Ramparts. 'It was a challenging year,' Marchessault said. 'A lot of things. Moving a family of four, I expected it to be hard, but not that hard.' Two of his sons were born in Las Vegas and another began playing youth hockey here. Marchessault was such a key part of the Golden Knights' success, and it wasn't only the production by a player who delivered in many clutch moments. He was the club's emotional leader as well, who even at 5-foot-9 commanded a big presence in the locker room. 'I miss him,' Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. 'I miss his competitiveness. I miss his personality in the locker room.' This hasn't been the kind of season Marchessault hoped for, especially considering the free-agency splash the Predators made in signing not only him but Steven Stamkos, who helped lead Tampa Bay to two Cups. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, are headed back to the playoffs with home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds. 'The position his team is in is in a much different position than our team right now, and I think that takes away a little bit of it,' Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith said before the game. 'But he's a competitor. He'll want to put on a good show and so will we. I expect nothing but his best effort tonight. He scored a lot of goals in this building, so we got to make sure he doesn't get one more.' This may be Marchessault's first time back in Vegas as an opponent, but not the first time facing the Golden Knights. The teams played twice in Nashville, splitting the games. Marchessault had an assist in the first meeting. 'It was just nice to see them,' Marchessault said. 'You spend a lot of years with those guys and so much memories, so much battling through adversity together. Out of nowhere, you see them twice a year. It's unfortunate, but it's a tough business.'
