BRENTWOOD, Mo. -- Matthew Tkachuk wanted to run it back when hitting the places that mean so much to him when it comes to showing his appreciation for the special things in his life.

So when the St. Louis-raised and Florida Panthers forward, oldest son of former St. Louis Blues forward and current director of recruitment Keith Tkachuk, became a repeat Stanley Cup champion, there were the usual spots and people he wanted to thank with a visit with the Stanley Cup.

Among them were the Brentwood Police Department, but unlike last year, there would be a caveat this time around: posing for pictures in a jail cell.

"I took it here before, but I've never took it in a cell," Tkachuk said jokingly after making a visit to the Brentwood Police Department near his home here. "That was a first for me. Hopefully that's my last time in a cell unless it's with the Cup again another time."

That could come again next season when the Panthers go for a three-peat, but in the meantime, it was a chance to show his gratitude and appreciation for St. Louis Children's Hospital, the Brentwood Police and Fire Departments to kick off his day on Monday.

"Always the first few stops, it always starts off at Children's Hospital," said Tkachuk, who was joined by his newlywed bride Ellie after being married this past weekend. "It's always the mandatory first stop. No ifs ands or buts. You have no idea what those kids are going through. 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 how I always want to start the day. Kind of like clockwork again running it back like the same itinerary as last year. We're going to have a lot of fun today."

The next stop was the police station, which has now been host to the Cup three times, including the Blues winning in 2019, before heading one mile away to the fire department.

"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. "I have so much respect for them. It's such a tough job. I don't know if they get the respect that they deserve from everybody else, but they certainly have it from me. I love putting a smile on their faces too and then trying to make their day. "Coming here taking pictures in the cell and with them, it's so incredible. They love it. Really, really incredible. They have such a hard job and I really appreciate everything they do for me. I'm not here all the time, so they take care of my house and my area. They just always take care of me."

And the law officers share in that appreciation.

"It's great that he includes the officers in his awards and his accolades," longtime Brentwood senior law enforcement analyst Thomas J. Bottini said. "He knows that we appreciate what he does and that our guys are out here patrolling his neighborhood and the rest of the citizens of Brentwood and the businesses. 

"I told him when he came in this doesn't get old. The Tkachuk family has been a good, solid mainstay here in Brentwood. His father [Keith Tkachuk] used to live here and I think he's a little further now, and now Matthew's here. It's amazing how him and [Boston Celtics star] Jayson Tatum were high school schoolmates [at Chaminade High School] and now they're both champions. Unbelievable."

What's even more unbelievable is that Tkachuk, who also visited the elementary and high schools (Villa Duchesne and Chaminade) along with Grassi's Ristorante in Frontenac last year, is able to run it back again one year later, and this time, he also wanted to show his respect for OB Clark's Bar & Grill.

"I don't have time for everything I had last year, but definitely going to stop off at OB Clark's sometime today," he said. "And we got the big party tonight. 

"I'm super fortunate to be on such an unbelievable team. But to bring the Cup back home to celebrate with friends and family is going to be incredible. "You don't really think about it until you're back in the season and stuff. I really haven't allowed myself to think about next year or years after, but this is kind of like the cherry on top of what an incredible year it was. That trophy is so special. It makes playing through all the (injury) stuff worth it."