Panthers overcome bad weather to celebrate Stanley Cup victory

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- About 45 minutes before the Florida Panthers began their Stanley Cup Championship Celebration, a massive storm blew in off the Atlantic Ocean.

On schedule, the Panthers posted a video of some players on their double-decked buses heading from their training facility to the parade route.

“Rain or shine!!!,” the caption read.

Well, there was plenty of rain — while the only shine on this day was what came off a glistening Stanley Cup.

Despite the awful weather, South Florida turned out en masse to celebrate their champions, as thousands packed the parade route along A1A, with even more gathered for a rally on the beach at the parade’s end.

“It’s a little nasty out,’’ said Steve Goldstein, the team’s longtime play-by-play voice on Bally Sports, who then alluded to the Panthers' opponents during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “But we’re not afraid of the lightning. Or the Bruins!’’

A total of 13 buses transported the Panthers down A1A on a wet, 2-mile parade route.

Some players wore clear plastic ponchos over their championship shirts, while others went bare-chested as they interacted with fans.

Forward Nick Cousins was on one of the first buses to arrive at the rally and was certainly in the spirit of the celebration.

Wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts, Cousins joined the party by jumping onto a piling in the sand and waving a fan’s Panthers flag as he and patrons shared beverages.

Cousins then went up onto the rain-slicked stage and recreated the Tom Cruise scene from "Risky Business," sliding across before grabbing the Stanley Cup and raising it high to raucous applause.

Ryan Lomberg, shirtless as usual, jumped off the stage into the massive crowd and went body surfing.

Team captain Aleksander Barkov kept his shirt on but had a Finnish flag draped around his neck.

He, like owner Vincent Viola, is usually quite reserved.

Not on Sunday.

Barkov was extremely animated both during the parade — he and Eetu Luostarinen drank out of a fan’s sandal — and again on the stage.

Viola led the fans in cheers as the buses rolled into the staging area.

“South Florida, what’s up!” said Barkov, the first Finnish captain to hoist the Stanley Cup.

“When I was drafted here 10 years ago in 2013, I would never have believed that this day would come. Here I am, with my teammates … here in front of you, all together on a rainy day during hurricane season and we’re here, on the beach, celebrating us winning the Cup.

“There are not enough words for me to say about how grateful I am to every single person here. This crowd goes all the way to where I live in Boca Raton, probably 1 million people. Thank you.’’

The rally featured highlights from the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup, with Barkov, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and forward Matthew Tkachuk all speaking to a crowd that was packed tight on the wet sand.

Barkov, once done speaking, led the fans in cheers for Bobrovsky, saying, “I always wanted to do this!’’

Bobrovsky certainly sounded like he appreciated it.

“In 2019, on July 1, I had just signed a deal with the Florida Panthers,’’ Bobrovsky said, recalling when he left the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent.

“My first interview, they asked me why I came to Florida. My answer was, ‘because I want to win the Cup. And I’m going to do it here.’ And now, here we are, five years later, celebrating the greatest victory for this franchise with you guys.”

Roberto Luongo, the Hall of Fame goalie who works in the team’s front office, also addressed the crowd after recreating his skills on the bass drum, which kicked off Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last Monday night in Sunrise.

“You guys have waited 30 years for this,” Luongo said. “Enjoy it, enjoy it. This is beautiful. These guys? What a group. They love each other, as strong as a wolf pack. This is a beautiful moment. Who cares about the rain?”

Local television stations showing the rally live had to go on high alert when coach Paul Maurice used some unsuitable-for-TV language.

Once Maurice opened that door, others followed — including Luongo.

The crowd roared in approval every single time.

“I heard it is 70 degrees and sunny in Edmonton, but they don’t have the Cup,” said Tkachuk, who later joined fans for a dip in the Atlantic with teammates Sam Bennett and Dmitry Kulikov.

“Thank you guys for the memories …. I especially want to thank the fans. This has been the time of my life.”