The Stanley Cup is enjoying its European vacation.
Between this week and next, he will shuttle between neighboring Finland and Sweden while visiting the hometowns of several Florida Panthers.
After enjoying ‘Barkov Day’ in Tampere on Wednesday, we headed to Tingsryd, Sweden to spend a day with defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The now-former Cats blueliner — he signed a four-year, $14 million contract with Toronto last month — shared the puck with his hometown community at a local hockey rink before spending time with friends and relatives.
He also visited the grave of his mother, who passed away from cancer in 2017.
Ekman-Larsson only played one season with the Panthers, but the veteran defenseman proved to be extremely valuable, performing at a high level in every situation he was asked to play in.
“I felt from the beginning that Florida was a good fit,” said Ekman-Larsson, by NHL.com. “They were in the Stanley Cup Final the year before and I felt they had the experience and the players needed, so in the end it turned out to be an excellent choice. It’s easy to say later, but here we are.”
On Friday, the Cup passed from one Swede to another, this time spending the day with Gustav Forsling.
In addition to visiting fans at the Saab Arena, where Forsling once played for Linkoping HC, he also took Lord Stanley in a helicopter to enjoy beautiful views of his hometown.
He started the day fishing in the water, followed by a family brunch prepared by his mother, including some delicious cinnamon rolls served on a Stanley Cup.
“My mom made basically everything, she’s an amazing cook,” Forsling said. “That’s how we grew up, she cooked for us and took us to the rink, so it’s amazing, it’s good that she cooks all the food today.”
Video of Forsling’s day with the Cup can be seen at the top of this page.
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