Panthers Chris McLellan takes Stanley Cup fishing in Florida Keys as summer Cup trips begin
The Stanley Cup is starting to make its summer rounds.
Every offseason, members of the team that wins the Stanley Cup, including players, coaches, executives and staff members, get a full day to spend with the iconic trophy.
They can do basically anything they want and take it anywhere in the world.
It’s an amazing tradition that began in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils and has continued ever since.
That process has now officially begun with the Panthers.
On Monday, Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard shared a photo of Panthers General Manager Bill Zito and the Stanley Cup while on a fishing trip in the Florida Keys.
Turns out, Zito was just along for the ride on this trip.
That's because this day with the Cup, which happened over the weekend, was for Panthers VP of Sports Performance Chris McLellan.
It turns out that McLellan, who hails all the way from Gold Coast, Australia, is the first Aussie to have his name etched into Lord Stanley’s Cup.
(Note: Nathan Walker became the first Australian-born person to play in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 but did not play in enough games to have his name added to the Cup)
McLellan, whose family lives back on the other side of the world, joined Zito, Panthers Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Joyce and forward Carter Verhaeghe on a Florida Keys fishing trip and boat tour for his day with Lord Stanley.
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Panthers Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Joyce (left) and VP of Sports Performance Chris McLellan (right) hoist the Stanley Cup (center) during a fishing trip in the Florida Keys.
David Dwork
While Pritchard’s social media post showed Zito pictured with the Cup and a freshly caught Mahi inside, it may have actually been McLellan who caught the fish, per a fishing trip source.
It’s just another example of how tightknit of an organization the Panthers have become, from top to bottom.
The following weeks should see more great Stanley Cup stories and trips as it makes its way from one member of the franchise to another.
Stay tuned!
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