Matthew Tkachuk (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Florida Panthers All-Star Matthew Tkachuk has broken his silence on his brainfart of a division to celebrate with the Stanley Cup in the Atlantic Ocean.

One year after the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final, Matthew Tkachuk and company redeemed themselves by defeating the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling seven-game series to capture the franchise’s first championship.

Each summer, every player on the Stanley Cup-winning team gets to spend one day with Lord Stanley’s Mug. Last month, Tkachuk celebrated by running into the Atlantic Ocean with the Stanley Cup in his hands.

Tkachuk received some backlash for this because it’s widely known that salt water can cause damage to silver. The Stanley Cup, of course, is made of silver and nickel alloy.

“I did not know that wasn’t allowed I promise you. It was the day after I won, I still hadn’t slept at that point. It was just me and a few teammates, we had nobody with us to say, ‘Matthew don’t be an idiot. Don’t do that.’ I thought It was fitting… If I knew I wasn’t supposed to do it I wouldn’t have done it, but it’s also pretty funny. My brother (Brady) was like, ‘The ocean’s right there, why don’t you go take it in there.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea. Let’s do that.’”

In Matthew’s defense, it might be the only time he’ll celebrate with a Stanley Cup championship. And even if he wins more rings, nothing will ever beat the experience of celebrating the first one.

The Panthers will now try to follow the blueprint of the archrival Tampa Bay Lightning and become just the third team in the 21st century to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Tampa did so in 2020 and 2021, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016 and 2017) as the only teams to hit that feat.

Matthew Tkachuk Has Been A Franchise-Changer For Florida

Before the Panthers acquired Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames in a 2022 blockbuster trade, the franchise had very little playoff success to speak of. They only reached the Stanley Cup Final once (1996), and had been swept by the Lightning in 2022 after finishing with the league’s best record.

But in two years of Tkachuk, Florida has won consecutive Eastern Conference banners and now a Stanley Cup. And to think he’ll only turn 27 years of age in December.