While the Florida Panthers captain, Aleksander Barkov, promised that Lord Stanley wouldn’t be taking a dip in the Atlantic Ocean this time around, the trophy’s travels through South Florida this year have still been epic. Starting at the Amerant Bank Arena locker room, where Matthew Tkachuk chugged out of it, the chalice made pit stops at the Elbo Room, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Earls Kitchen + Bar (Lord Stanley wasn’t used as a plate here), before making its grand return to E11even. And just so you know, it was not just hockey stars that Lord Stanley hung out with.

Take the trophy’s pit stop at Maple & Ash, for instance, where tennis legend Martina Navratilova had a drink from the Cup as the Florida Panthers indulged in oysters, seafood tower, chocolate cake…you know, the works. In fact, the chalice also stopped by the Hard Rock Stadium during Inter Miami’s FIFA Club World Cup match against Palmeiras on June 23. And a little over a month since that day, Lord Stanley was back at the same venue, only this time to groove to the voice of Chris Martin.

On Sunday, Coldplay was in Miami, and during the band’s show at Hard Rock Stadium over the weekend, the Panthers’ defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Seth Jones enjoyed their time on the big screen, lifting up the Stanley Cup and continuing the Kiss cam trend by kissing the cup. Coldplay’s Chris Martin serenaded the players as they held the trophy high, smiling and waving to the crowd. A cheer erupted when they were shown on the big screen.  

And while players enjoyed taking the cup to a Coldplay concert, the general manager, Bill Zito, had taken it to the Theater of the Sea, a marine mammal park in the Florida Keys, on July 26. Zito shared a playful moment with one of the dolphins at the park. He got snapped in a striking shot of the dolphin leaping from the water with the Stanley Cup and a Panthers championship flag in the background. The scene captured a lighthearted mix of triumph and fun, set against a picture-perfect backdrop. He has posted all pictures of his visit on his X handle. But that’s not all, the Panthers’ star forward, Matthew Tkachuk, also took the cup to unexpected places. 

Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk took the Stanley Cup to jail

On July 21, Matthew Tkachuk, who is currently dealing with an injury, took the Stanley Cup to jail, the Brentwood Police Department and Fire Department, and also to the Children’s Hospital. He visited the places with his newlywed wife, Ellie. The Hockey News reported that these are the spots he wanted to visit with the cup. “Coming here to the police station and the fire station, the first responders, the police and fire, that is what is so important to me,” Tkachuk said. Unlike last year, he also took pictures in the jail cell this year, while kissing the cup.

Credit: Instagram.com/@matthew_tkachuk“I took it here before, but I’ve never taken it in a cell,” Matthew said. And added, “That was a first for me. Hopefully that’s my last time in a cell unless it’s with the Cup again another time.” And while talking about his visit to the Children’s hospital, the two-time Stanley Cup winner said, “Always the first few stops, it always starts off at Children’s Hospital. It’s always the mandatory first stop. No ifs ands or buts. You have no idea what those kids are going through.” Matthew further said, “Just to brighten up their day just for a minute, if that’s all it takes to make their day, and then for them to call their friends and say they had their day with the Cup, that’s what it’s all about.” It’s hard to believe, but Tkachuk’s doing it all over again. 

Just like last year, he stopped by his old stomping grounds, Villa Duchesne and Chaminade. He also visited the schools where it all began and dropped in for another visit to Grassi’s Ristorante in Frontenac. But this time, he added a new stop that meant just as much. It was OB Clark’s Bar & Grill. For Tkachuk, it wasn’t just about nostalgia. It was about showing love to a local spot that always welcomed him with open arms.