Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour speaks after Florida's 4-3 win in Edmonton on June 13. The night the Florida Panthers won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, the celebration was one for the ages. From the ice to the locker room to Matthew Takchuk’s house, to watching the sun rise along Fort Lauderdale Beach and taking an early morning dip in the ocean. Florida’s players kept the party going for hours and days after they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 on the night of Monday, June 24. One of the great things about this Panthers team has been their eagerness to share the Stanley Cup with their fans. It’s been to restaurants, bars and nightclubs across two counties before making the trip to and from Las Vegas in time to join the team in last weekend’s championship parade. A cool thing that came out on Friday was a conversation with a Panthers player who gave a little more detail into those first hours after the team won the Cup. Now former-Cats defenseman Brandon Montour spoke to the boys on the Missin Curfew podcast, Shane O’Brien and Scottie Upshall, and provided some insight into the team’s initial celebrations. “Now that I look back, the parade was insane, but partying in the locker room probably until, I didn’t get home until 5:30 a.m., and I might have been one of the earlier ones to leave,” Montour said. The scene in the locker room was a beautiful sloppy mess. All the players were there, some still in their hockey gear, with their families, the coaching staff and their families, trainers, medical staff, PR staff, all enjoying the mix of music, cigar smoke, champagne, beer, and the indescribable smell of a hockey locker room. “The puddle on the ground was above my…,” Montour began to explain through a laugh. “I had my gear on until 4 a.m. Families, friends, kids were in the locker room with cigars, they were smoking.” Montour said there were over 160 champagne bottles that were opened in the room afterwards. “I think the moment when all the boys were in the locker room with just each other and family and friends, I think that was one memory that we’re all going to hold on to, for sure.” Montour also speaks about the Panthers playoff run, the difference between this year and the 2023 Final loss to Vegas, signing a $50 million contract with Seattle and a lot more. You can check out the full episode of Missin' Curfew below, with the Montour interview starting at around the 21:35 mark: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGn42ao3xAw[/embed] LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers announced 2024 Development Camp roster, dates [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-announced-2024-development-camp-roster-dates] Jesper Boqvist was drawn to Florida Panthers aggressive, physical style [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/jesper-boqvist-was-drawn-to-florida-panthers-aggressive-physical-style] Some Panthers players, fans celebrating Stanley Cup victory by getting tattoos [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/some-panthers-players-fans-celebrating-stanley-cup-victory-by-getting-tattoos] Panthers fans can celebrate first July 4th as Stanley Cup Champions [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-fans-can-celebrate-first-july-4th-as-stanley-cup-champions] Florida Panthers names being added to Stanley Cup this week, before each gets special day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-names-being-added-to-stanley-cup-this-week-before-each-gets-special-day] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
