Panthers overcome bad weather to celebrate Stanley Cup victory | NHL.com

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.