“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else,” said tennis icon Martina Navratilova. The Czechia native, who came to the U.S. to carve her path to sporting glory and held all four singles titles from Wimbledon 1983 through the US Open in 1984, said these words to symbolize living the moment, enjoying the work, and relishing the victory an athlete sheds blood, sweat, and tears for.

Few symbolize that philosophy better than back-to-back Stanley Cup winners, Aleksander Barkov and the Florida Panthers. You could say it was destiny that the tennis legend ran into the Panthers, who were celebrating their first Stanley Cup win at the team dinner last year. The Panthers were gracious enough to hand the silverware to the 9x Wimbledon winner.

The Florida Panthers cherished that moment so much that they decided to turn it into a tradition. So when a reporter asked Aleksander Barkov if they had invited her to this year’s celebration party, Barkov confirmed that they had. “Yeah, it’s great. It’s a good tradition to have her come and take a photo,” the Panthers captain said during the end-of-season presser.

“She lives in Miami, and it’s always nice to see the greats from other sports, and she’s one of them. So we’re always happy to see her,” added Barkov. And just like that, a chance meeting has now linked Martina Navratilova with the success of the Florida Panthers. And talking about recognition from other sports, Navratilova gracing the Panthers’ celebration isn’t the only honor the team or its stars have earned.

Last year, Aleksander Barkov’s teammate, alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk, earned a special honor. The St. Louis native returned to his hometown alongside Celtics star Jayson Tatum at Busch Stadium. The home of the MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals welcomed the two champions, who threw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Cardinals’ home game. However, we’ll have to wait until August to see if the Cardinals honor Tkachuk this year, too. That being said, the Panthers aren’t planning to celebrate for the entire off-season.

Aleksander Barkov’s warning to rivals

The Florida Panthers have won the NHL’s ultimate prize for a second year in a row. And so this time the party hasn’t stopped yet. “Last year was kind of a dream. It was. That’s the right word; it was a dream come true, it was euphoric. This year was an achievement,” Coach Paul Maurice said about winning the Stanley Cup, and said he didn’t have any qualms with the boy going viral with the celebration.

“Good for them; they’ve earned it,” added the head coach. However, the partying will come to an end sooner rather than later, and Aleksander Barkov and his teammates don’t intend to waste the off-season. Although resigning Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand together with the limited $19 million cap space might prove to be a hurdle, the Panthers are confident about the upcoming season.

“I don’t see us slowing down,” Aleksander Barkov said about their prospects of a Stanley Cup hat-trick, as per the Miami Herald. Alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk also shares his team captain’s opinion. “You just want to keep this thing going. … Winning, it’s addictive,” added the 27-year-old.

So, even the third time might not be the charm for Edmonton, provided both teams reach the finals for the third consecutive year in 2026. With both Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand saying they want to stay with the Panthers, who knows? The Cats may become the first hockey dynasty of the 2020s. And by the look of things, you can expect Martina Navratilova to show up again if they win.