Thanks to the NHL, the fans got more than a glimpse of the wild celebrations inside the Panthers’ locker room at the Amerant Bank Arena. The official NHL page showed the team showing the Stanley Cup and Aleksander Barkov with champagne. Meanwhile, Matthew Tkachuk smoked a cigar and drank out of the Stanley Cup. Yet, it was one clip of the Panthers vibing to a particular song that was a subtle dig at their opponents, the Oilers.
“Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers vibing out to ‘Pink Pony Club’ while popping bottles. The ultimate rat,” wrote B/R Open Ice while sharing the clip via the NHL. Talk about rubbing it in. Yet, if you’re unfamiliar with why it was such a dig at the Edmonton Oilers, then we’ll have to backtrack to the early days of the 2025 NHL playoffs. The time when Chappell Roan’s song became synonymous with the Oilers winning.
Just like the Edmonton Oilers enter the games at Rogers Place with Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ blasting on the speakers, Chappell Roan’s 2023 hit has become a part of the NHL teams’ victory ritual. It became popular as the Oilers carved a path to the final, with Pink Pony Club blaring inside the locker room every time they won a match against their Stanley Cup Playoff opponents.
It became such a huge part of the team’s 2025 playoff run that even a stadium full of fans belted out the Chappell Roan banger during Oilers vs. Dallas Stars Game 3. The team goalie, Calvin Pickard, only deepened the intrigue. “Well, I know exactly where it started, but I don’t know if I want to let that secret out,” he told The Edmonton Journal.
Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers vibing out to “Pink Pony Club” while popping bottles. The ultimate rats
(via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/UHsGGYVKKr
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2025
“I know exactly when, because I was there. But, I think I am going to keep it tight to the chest,” added Pickard. However, the Oilers were obviously in no mood to play Pink Pony Club after Florida shattered their Stanley Cup dreams in Game 6. Instead, the victorious team made it their own after winning the NHL’s ultimate prize again. And now just one question remains.
What went wrong with the Stanley Cup challengers
While the Panthers locker room echoed with the symphony of celebration, the Oilers cleared out, visibly disappointed to once again come so close, but miss out. The Edmonton Oilers’ captain, Connor McDavid, once again donned the outfit he wore on the day he scored the overtime winner that gave Team Canada the 4 Nations Face-Off title.
Maybe he wore it as a good luck charm for Game 6, but alas, luck was not with the Oilers against the Stanley Cup champions. Then again, it wasn’t all about luck, because the Florida Panthers simply outplayed the Oilers. “Lost to a really good team,” lamented the generational NHL talent. “Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in. They’re just a heck of a team, you know?” admitted McDavid.
Credits – Instagram @mcdavid97
“Stanley Cup champions, back to back, for a reason,” added the 28-year-old. McDavid also wasn’t shy about discussing how the Panthers beat them. “I mean, obviously, their forecheck was great. They tilted the rink; they were able to kind of stay on top of us all over the place,” said McDavid. The Oilers were well aware of the fact that Game 6 was do-or-die.
“Our backs are against the wall, and after a disappointing game all around, you have to bounce back,” Corey Perry said ahead of Game 6. Unfortunately, the Edmonton Oilers couldn’t get out of that spot. And while the Panthers danced to Pink Pony Club, the Oilers added one more year of anticipation for the Canadian fans who last saw the Stanley Cup travel up north in 1993.
The post Panthers’ Locker Room Celebrations Turn Into Subtle Dig at Oilers Post Stanley Cup Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.