sam bennett cup

The sun wasn't the only thing shining in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, on Friday morning, thanks to Sam Bennett.

The Florida Panthers forward brought the Stanley Cup home to the Holland Landing town, and local leadership rolled out the red carpet for the pair.

Bennett, who had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Panthers last season, made remarks to fans while wearing a Team Canada jersey in front of the East Gwillimbury Sports Complex. He carried the Cup out over his head to a rousing ovation.

Fans flooded the area to get a chance to take their picture with Bennett and the Cup, many posting to social media shots of the large crowd in attendance for the event.

“It’s really incredible to be back here at the rink where I learned to play, where I fell in love with hockey. I learned to skate here, scored my first goal here,” Bennett said to fans in attendance, according to the East Gwillimbury Express. “It’s really cool to come back here at the peak of my career and bring the Stanley Cup to where it all started.”