Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers celebrated their back-to-back championship in style on June 22, 2025, with a huge beachfront parade in Fort Lauderdale that attracted around 400,000 enthusiastic fans. In the midst of all the celebration, Tkachuk really took the spotlight. Just like last year, he confidently told the crowd that he “would like to apologize to absolutely (…) nobody because a double champ does whatever (…) he wants.”

The party just kept going long after the parade was over. Tkachuk brought his usual energy to the Elbo Room, leading fun chants and hopping off his bus to personally greet fans. He honored this tradition once more by bringing the Stanley Cup into the Atlantic Ocean—this time with a replica—giving it a kiss and soaking in the cheers from beachgoers.

Matthew Tkachuk’s celebration wasn’t just filled with wild moments—it was really about that genuine connection. He took a moment during the parade to make sure a fan in a wheelchair could be part of the fun, personally guiding him into the procession. When Tkachuk posted these moments on his Instagram, the same fan, Cesar Lucero, left a touching comment, saying, “Matthew — to you and your amazing family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you’ve done for me this past week. I’m beyond grateful and still can’t believe I got to be part of all this. And to the rest of the boys — thank you for making me feel like one of the team. For someone who’s never been able to play organized sports, that meant the world to me.”

Lucero, living with a rare bone condition that made it tough for him to play sports, shared how being welcomed by Tkachuk and the team really made him feel included. For someone who had never worn a jersey, that feeling of belonging was a game-changer.

Lucero also talked about how getting soaked in champagne during the celebrations turned out to be one of his happiest moments, saying, “Also… thank you for waterboarding me with champagne — easily the greatest moment of my life. I smelled like victory and sticky greatness for hours. Totally worth it. I’ll never forget any of this. I’m forever grateful. And remember: WE ARE THEM MOTHER F*****S. One shift at a time. One period at a time. One game at a time. Let’s go Cats!!”

In the end, the fan’s heartfelt message really struck a chord. Every time he interacted with the team, he felt like he was part of the Panthers’ brotherhood, holding onto those memories of friendship, celebration, and a strong emotional bond with the players. His words weren’t just a simple thank you—they really captured the special connection between the athlete and the fans, all sparked by the exciting vibe of a championship parade. However, after winning the Stanley Cup, Tkachuk did share a major health update.

Matthew Tkachuk was candid about his injury

“I don’t know yet,” Matthew Tkachuk said about the surgery. “I’ve gotta go through some steps here and then see if I need surgery or not. It’s it’s gonna take a few weeks to determine if I need it. Probably 50-50 right now. I don’t know if it’ll be a normal summer or not. I hope so. I’m just gonna jump right into surgery without talking to everybody and going through everything. I mean, I have a few weeks here where I can figure it out.”

Tkachuk really showed up for the Panthers in the postseason, and it’s quite impressive considering how serious his injury was. He missed the end of the regular season due to a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia from the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he returned just in time for Game 1 of the playoffs and played through all 23 games.

Coach Paul Maurice openly admitted, saying, “He was a mess. That’s the medical term. He was a mess.” Tkachuk really nailed it with his ice time management—avoiding those big hits but still making his presence felt—and he ended up tying for the team lead in postseason scoring with 23 points. Whatever the case may be, Tkachuk is in for a busy summer regardless of surgery.