Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad had an explicit message for LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka as the team celebrated its Stanley Cup victory with a parade in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.
Ekblad, with a traffic cone on his head, came up to the podium during the team’s rally.
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Golfer Brooks Koepka bangs a drum to start the game between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final at then-FLA Live Arena on June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Florida. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
« F— you Brooks Koepka, » he yelled.
The message appeared to be another page in the tumultuous history between the two athletes.
The issue stemmed from Koepka’s appearance at Amerant Bank Arena in March 2023. Koepka, a Panthers supporter, had a traffic cone in his suite and appeared to point at Ekblad.
« You’re a f—ing traffic cone, » he was heard saying of Ekblad’s defensive abilities. « Ekblad, you suck! »
Ekblad said after that incident that he and Koepka would « never be buddies. »
Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad carries the Stanley Cup in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on June 25, 2024. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
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The Hockey News reported in April 2023 that cooler heads prevailed after the trash talk.
« He texted me after and apologized, and I’m cool with it, » Ekblad said at the time, per the outlet. « That’s just part of being intense. Maybe he had some money on the game. »
Brandon Montour, Ekblad’s Panthers teammate, said on the « Cam and Strick » podcast last July that the rift was funny to those in the locker room.
« We laughed about it, » Montour said. « In the same sense, it’s like, we’ll put you in a pair of our skates and let you f—ing get on the ice and do it. All jokes aside, obviously he’s a fan of the game, and he wants us to win. »
Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers poses with fans at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Florida. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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Ekblad and the Panthers got the last laugh with their Stanley Cup win.
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