Panthers continue Stanley Cup revelry with beachfront parade

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers did not wait until Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final had ended to begin their celebration.

So, did anyone think what happened in the days -- nights, mornings -- ahead would be any different?

The Panthers celebrated winning the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season with a beachfront parade on Sunday down A1A that culminated with a rally at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.

There, they were unapologetic to those who have been critical of their hearty partying with the Stanley Cup since a 5-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Brad Marchand all took turns at the microphone and used some unprintable language to express that, hey, as two-time Stanley Cup champions, they can party the way they want to.

Oh, and that they are going to try and do it all over again this upcoming season.

“In honor of DJ Khaled, we the best!’’ Reinhart said. “And I mean that. Another one!”

Florida coach Paul Maurice, who had some of the more memorable comments at last year’s parade, and general manager Bill Zito offered a more mellow message to the crowd, thanking the players and their families for making this run so memorable.

Maurice once again wore a customized t-shirt with pictures of his cats, Penny and Poppy, on it, only this time they were wearing crowns instead of being superimposed on Florida's team logo.

His flowered shirt also had cats on them, a nod to the vintage ties he wears most game nights.

“My message today is one of thanks,’’ Zito said. “First and foremost, it’s these men, it’s these players, these coaches who are extraordinary individuals, our staff, our scouts. … Everyone gets together, and if you came to see us, you would not know who the superstar was or who the other guy was. It is a blessing, and I can’t say thank you enough to all you guys. It’s a true honor.’’

This year’s parade followed the same route and ended up at the same park as last year’s celebration.

The team loaded onto double-decker buses at their training facility just west of the beach and headed to the parade route.

But unlike last year, there was no large rainstorm to contend with.

After partying in the rain a year ago, the Panthers basked in the bright sun on Sunday with temperatures in the mid-90s.

Last year, it was estimated that more than 200,000 were in attendance. This year certainly looked like a lot more.

“I know this is a better day than it was last year,’’ said captain Aleksander Barkov, who wore a t-shirt with an image of Tkachuk smoking a cigar on it. “Still, this is an amazing day we’re having with you guys. I want to say thank you to all of you.’’

As the buses crept down A1A, a number of players, including defenseman Seth Jones, jumped out to greet the large throng of people lined up on the sidewalks, with some even bringing the Stanley Cup with them.

Others, like defenseman Nate Schmidt, enjoyed a beverage or two with the fans who came out.

Tkachuk and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, meanwhile, took a detour and jumped into the ocean to cool off a bit.

Last June, Tkachuk got chastised a bit for taking the Stanley Cup into the Atlantic Ocean the day after the Panthers defeated the Oilers 2-1 in Game 7.

He has not done that again, although one young fan had a replica Cup and jumped into the surf with the players.

As the first buses arrived at the staging area for the rally, the DJ played "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan, which the Oilers adopted as a victory song this season.

When the rally wrapped up and the entire team came to the front of the stage, "Pink Pony Club" came on again before the DJ switched to the standard "We Are the Champions" by Queen.

Marchand, who was acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Boston Bruins at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, came up to chants of "Thank You Boston!"

A pending unrestricted free agent on July 1, Marchand implied he would be staying with the Panthers.

Bennett, who is also set to become a free agent, ended his speech by turning to Zito and shouting, “Eight more years, please!’’

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has been with Florida since it selected him with the No. 1 pick at the 2014 NHL Draft, is another pending free agent. He joked about Bennett’s public pronouncements about his next contract, saying that he lost leverage with Zito because of them.

“This has been unbelievable,’’ said Marchand, whose young daughters sat on the pedestal with the Stanley Cup. “I never could have imagined to be part of something so special. I’m so happy I don’t have to play against these guys anymore. … I just want to thank everyone who was part of bringing me here.’’

Tkachuk was one of the players who said the Panthers want to make this an annual event. A plane rented by a local sportsbook repeatedly flew over the site of the rally towing a banner with the odds of a potential three-peat.

“This parade, it continues to be one of the best days of my entire life,’’ Tkachuk said. “These are some of the memories I am going to have for the rest of my life.”

Bobrovsky said he thinks the Panthers can return here next June.

“I think I like to get together at this time of the year,’’ Bobrovsky said. “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.’’