The Stanley Cup has returned to South Florida with some very cool additions made to it
The Stanley Cup has returned to South Florida with some very cool additions made to it
The Stanley Cup is a beautiful thing.
It’s arguably the most difficult trophy to win in all of professional sports, and it comes with a long and rich history.
Once you win the Stanley Cup, your name goes on it forever. It’s an honor that nobody can take away.
It’s been nearly three weeks since the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in an epic seven-game Stanley Cup Final.
The celebrations that followed were expectedly glorious as the Panthers took the Cup across South Florida to enjoy the victory with Cats fans who had been waiting 30 years for a championship.
After Florida’s Stanley Cup parade took place a couple weekends ago, Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard brought the big silver beauty back up north of the border.
It’s there, outside Montreal, where silversmith Louise St. Jacques engraved the 53 names of Panthers players, coaches, executives and staff members who will be immortalized forever.
Now that she’s finished, the Cup has made its way back to the Panthers, and taking a turn with it currently is Cats General Manager Bill Zito.
Unsurprisingly, Zito brough the Cup on a fishing trip down to the Florida Keys, and some lucky fans were able to snap a few photos with it.
They were posted on Facebook by Kimberly Kasper Lowell on Friday night and added to a popular Florida Panthers fan group page.
The first seven rows feature four names each and start with owner Vincent Viola and his family, followed by co-owner Doug Cifu, Zito and Head Coach Paul Maurice.
Then comes the coaching staff and front office executives, including longtime goalie coach Robb Tallas and equipment manager Teddy Richards and former Panthers players Patric Hornqvist, Bryan McCabe and Robert Luongo.
The 24 Panthers players whose names are on the Stanley Cup are, in alphabetical order: Sasha Barkov, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky, Nick Cousins, Aaron Ekblad, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Gustav Forsling, Jonah Gadjovich, Dmitry Kulikov, Ryan Lomberg, Steven Lorentz, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Josh Mahura, Niko Mikkola, Brandon Montour, Kyle Okposo, Samson Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Kevin Stenlund, Anthony Stolarz, Vladimir Tarasenko, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe.
Added underneath all the players is Panthers President Matt Caldwell. Perhaps there’s a story as to why his name came last.
Not that it probably matters to Caldwell, or anyone, as getting your name on the Cup is all that matters.
Unfortunately, space is limited, which meant the exclusion of skills coach Maxim Ivanov and strength and conditioning coach Mike Joyce, who, among others, were with the team on a daily basis.
All should get Stanley Cup Championship rings, though that decision ultimately comes down to ownership and how many they choose to purchase for the team and its employees.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
‘It’s been a long time coming’: Former Panthers Captain Bryan McCabe finally a Stanley Cup Champion
Young Panthers prospects wrap up week of Development Camp with fun, spirited scrimmage
Hockey Hall of Fame to display trove of Florida Panthers Stanley Cup memorabilia
