In the sea of red that had made its way to Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, there was a tiny speck of black—a kid wearing a Bruins Brad Marchand jersey. And while that may not have been the wisest of ideas, he was under no illusion that the ex-Bruins skipper would have been in a very different position had he not made the move to Miami. “He wanted another Cup. He wasn’t getting that done in Boston,” he conceded. However, he was not without hope for another Marchand-Bruins chapter. “We’re going through a rebuild; hopefully, he comes back during free agency.” Well, kid, if you are reading this, it doesn’t seem like Marchand wants to move back. And if it makes you feel any better, you are not the only one whose hopes with their favorite hockey star may not come to fruition. That’s because an Anton Lundell fan may also be up for some disappointment.

Amidst the electric celebrations on the Florida beach, a 10-year-old fan surprised Anton Lundell with an adorable and touching request. Perhaps it’s his stunning 18-point performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, or his calm demeanor, humble attitude, and genuinely polite nature that continue to draw young fans to approach Lundell. But hockey fans may have never witnessed a 10-year-old asking a hockey star to a 5th-grade prom. Yes, a young girl named Chloe Diaz was spotted in Miami holding an adorable signboard during the celebrations. The sign clearly read, “Lundy, will you go to my 5th grade prom?”

When reporters asked Chloe about her cute request to Lundell, she simply said, “Maybe there’s a chance.” The 5th grader also had a brief interaction with Lundell during the celebrations. When asked about it, she said, “He didn’t say anything. He just waved.” The young fan also mentioned that Lundell gave her some beads, which made her extremely happy. “He gave me these beads. Yeah, it was really nice,” she said. Chloe made core memories with the ice hockey star and is now eagerly waiting for his appearance at her prom in May 2026.

But the playoffs might keep Lundell occupied in May 2026, when Chloe Diaz has her prom scheduled. As the Florida Panthers are eyeing a three-peat, there’s almost zero chance the team would allow a key player like Lundell to accept the request. But…

After winning two cups back to back, fans are hoping for a three-peat. In fact, Anton Lundell’s teammate, Sergei Bobrovsky is also on the same page. “I think I like to get together at this time of the year,” Bobrovsky said at the parade. “I think with this unbelievable ownership, our great management, the great coaching staff, this fantastic group of guys, with incredible fans … we can all be together again next year.” However, as far as Matthew Tkachuk’s ambitions are concerned, they are a bit bigger.

Tkachuk said, “I don’t know. I think I want to get used to this, this whole winning thing. So, I guess it starts with coming out at the start of the year again. And then, hopefully, we can win the Olympics and win another Cup.” Apart from the star player, the Panthers GM also admitted his wish. When asked about winning the third cup, he said, “I think we can.” But to make that happen, the Panthers have to take a few decisions quickly. 

Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad—all key pieces in the Panthers’ title run—are nearing free agency and await offers. In fact, Brad Marchand himself sent a rather public message to Bill Zito’s on Friday when he said, “Give me a contract.” Even Bennett declared he isn’t going anywhere. However, the thing is, nothing is official yet, and it’s entirely up to the Panthers’ front office to decide on these players.