Panthers GM interview with Pat McAfee inspires wild Aleksander Barkov Stanley Cup Ring video

There have been many remarkable celebratory moments with the Stanley Cup since it was first presented in 1893. Those include taking it to strip clubs, tossing or drop-kicking it into canals or pools, and even baptizing children in it. But few of those moments have received quick video reinforcement the way Florida Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov’s 5 a.m. journey with the Cup did this week.

Following the Panthers’ series-clinching 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final Tuesday night, the team understandably went on to celebrate. That celebration produced plenty of notable moments (including damage to the trophy), which got some discussion Wednesday.

One element there saw talk of Barkov (who became only the second player in NHL history to twice win the Stanley Cup and the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in the same season, following Bob Gainey) and teammates walking around to houses in his neighborhood at 5 a.m. with the trophy. And Panthers’ general manager Bill Zito Jr. reinforced that in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN Wednesday, which McAfee posted to X:

“I heard a great story about Aleksander Barkov from last night..

At five in the morning he walked around his neighborhood banging on everybody’s front door with the Stanley Cup” 😂😂 ~ @bzitojr #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/UPoiYQ8e9H

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 18, 2025

Amazingly, that led to viewer Roger Rojas responding with their Ring doorbell video confirming this:

I have the ring camera of Barkov knocking on my door!

— Roger Rojas (@rogerarojas_) June 18, 2025

pic.twitter.com/3TfZcLpYP3

— Roger Rojas (@rogerarojas_) June 18, 2025

That’s a fun thing for these players to do, and hopefully the viewer did indeed make it out to see the Cup before the players moved on. (And this won’t be the only way Barkov, who also won this year’s King Clancy Trophy as “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community,” celebrates with his community: he’s already vowed to again take the Cup to a local children’s hospital.) But the more remarkable element here may be the way this got confirmed.

The story was believable in the first place, especially with it coming from a team executive like Zito. But the GM did say he was getting that secondhand, and many of the Stanley Cup sagas over the years haven’t had substantial eyewitness confirmation. (Some have, though, even from Mafia informants.) A viewer of McAfee’s clip here responding with literal door camera video to prove it is pretty amazing.