The Stanley Cup has really been through a lot since the Florida Panthers snagged their second consecutive championship back in June 2025. Remember when Matthew Tkachuk took it to the ocean last year? He said, “I guess, but I guess after, you know, after we won, zero hours of sleep, about 40 beers later, I took it into the ocean, and yeah, I guess it doesn’t deal well with salt water, which makes sense, but I didn’t know the rules.” An absolute menace!

So, this year has really been something else. We’ve already witnessed some amazing locker-room celebrations, city-wide parades, and all the usual player festivities. Lord Stanley has been thrown into pools and onto parade floats, becoming a staple in South Florida as the team celebrated their back-to-back wins. Since the Panthers clinched their finals win in Sunrise, FL, every stop has been buzzing with media coverage and excitement from fans.

The Cup’s tour has captured the one-of-a-kind vibe of this Panthers squad, from the champagne celebrations and cigars in the locker room to the classic rat-shooting on the ice.

So, this week, the Cup’s crazy journey took a surprising twist. The culprit? It was Matthew Tkachuk again! On X, Spittin’ Chiclets shared this wild story that “Matthew Tkachuk brought Lord Stanley to JAIL.”

Can you believe that? The fan-favorite Panthers forward, who netted a goal in Game 6 of the finals, recently showed up at the Brentwood Police Department, and guess what? The Stanley Cup was right there with him!

You could see in the pictures how Tkachuk was totally in the moment. For sure, he’s still soaking in that second Stanley Cup win like there’s no tomorrow! However, when the social media post started to pick up steam, fans weren’t really thrilled about it.

NHL fans aren’t happy with this Matthew Tkachuk gesture.

There’s this unwritten rule about the Stanley Cup that says only the players who have won it can touch, lift, or carry the trophy. It’s a tradition that honors the achievement of winning the championship. And yeah, there are a bunch of other things in the rulebook too. But when you think about the Florida Panthers, particularly a guy like Matthew Tkachuk, they embrace the idea that “rules are meant to be broken.”

That comment, “This is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen,” really shows how frustrated people are with what they view as unnecessary disrespect. In a similar vein, this fan commented, “Lame.” A sarcastic reply said, “Nobody should ever wonder why normal hockey fans don’t like that franchise.” But, you know, it’s Matthew Tkachuk we’re talking about.

“I was talking to Gustav Forsling in the back, and we thought about one of my favorite lines ever, and it was: I would like to apologize to absolutely f—–g nobody, because the double champs does what the f— he wants,” said the Panthers forward during the celebrations. It was his best Connor McGregor impression that came in the context of many criticizing the team’s way of almost everything — from play style to their celebrations.

However, this fan said, “Man, this guy is a loser lol.” So, this fan was curious and asked, “Legit question – why?” Tkachuk knows how to stir the pot, and with the Panthers leaning more towards showmanship than the usual hockey traditions, it’s got some fans buzzing. But, will they ever change? It doesn’t seem that way.