Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Former Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo bangs the drum prior to the start of the during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Panthers Will Have Good Luck Charm Back on Drum

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Florida Panthers are trying to replicate the magic from Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. Tuesday night is Game 6 in the Panthers' building, and they are pulling out all the stops.

That also includes having former goalkeeper and current Panthers executive Roberto Luongo banging the big bass drum, which fires up the crowd before the drop of the puck. Luongo beat the drum last year before the 2-1 victory that sealed the Stanley Cup championship for the home team.

Luongo hinted on social media on Monday he might be banging the drum when he tweeted out a video of Will Ferrell playing the drums in Step Brothers under the mantra of "Warming up in the bullpen."

Other celebrities to bang on the drum in the past have included Miami Heat center/power forward Bam Adebayo, Hall of Fame golfer Jack Nicklaus and Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. The Panthers lost game 4 and blew a 3-0 first period lead when Jason Taylor, the Hall of Fame edge rusher from the Dolphins, beat the drum.

Warming up in the bullpen pic.twitter.com/UDhadbPOFQ
— Strombone (@strombone1) June 16, 2025

Luongo, a former Panthers and Canucks superstar, never won the Cup as a player. However, he did come close in 2011 when he was with Vancouver. His Canucks led Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins 3-2 before losing the series in seven games.

Marchand won that series and so did Panthers' front office members Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell. Luongo did kiss the Cup last season as a Panthers' executive.

Luongo had a day with the Cup last season when every member of the Panthers got to babysit the cup for a 24-hour period. Luongo ate pasta out of the Cup after he got home from the arena one night.

The Panthers are hoping Luongo can rekindle the magic from last June when he brought the boom to the Amerant Bank Arena and got the crowd ready for the Panthers winning the Cup.

Game 6 will be Tuesday night in Sunrise. The puck will drop at 8:00 p.m. ET. Luongo and the Panthers are hoping Florida will be drinking out of the Cup after the game.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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