Matthew Tkachuk’s Stanley Cup victory lap featured two very special words this year: “I do.”
The star Panthers forward married fiancée Ellie Connell over the weekend, according to videos shared on social media, roughly one month after winning the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season.
The couple swapped vows at a church where Tkachuk, looking dapper in a dark tux, dipped his bride for a kiss as they walked down the aisle.
Connell, who reportedly got engaged to the two-time NHL All-Star in 2024, stunned in a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline.
Once the party got underway at the reception, it was the groom’s father, Hockey Hall of Famer Keith Tkachuk, who stole the spotlight as he was hoisted onto a chair as Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” blared in the background.
The song was famously part of the Oilers’ latest Stanley Cup run, which was thwarted in back-to-back years by the Panthers.
Florida defeated Edmonton in six games this year after going to seven in 2024.
“We’ve got to be a dynasty now,” Tkachuk said in June. “Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.”
The Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final since 2023, losing in five that year to the Golden Knights.
Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers before the start of the 2022-23 season after spending the first six years of his NHL career with the Flames.
Though Tkachuk was a factor in this year’s Cup run — he scored eight goals across 23 playoff appearances — his postseason availability seemed murky after he sustained a lower-body injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off competition.
He had not played since February.
“I’ve had some ups and downs throughout the playoffs, (but) now I’m feeling the best I’ve felt,” Tkachuck said. “Personally, I’m very happy with where the health is and everything.”
And now, he’ll have a championship ring to pair with his wedding band.
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