Ron DeSantis made a bold Stanley Cup promise that left hockey fans stunned

Ron DeSantis just made one jaw-dropping statement about the Stanley Cup.

Hockey fans couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

And Ron DeSantis made a bold Stanley Cup promise that left hockey fans stunned.

DeSantis drops bombshell about Stanley Cup residency

Sure, the Florida Panthers just won their second straight Stanley Cup by beating Edmonton in six games.

But Governor Ron DeSantis grabbed all the headlines with what he said next.

DeSantis congratulated the Panthers and then dropped a bombshell that caught everyone off guard.

“Congrats — again — to the Florida Panthers on a great championship season,” DeSantis posted on X. “Florida has become the hockey capital of the world. We might have to issue an executive order granting Florida residency and a homestead exemption for Lord Stanley’s Cup given how much time it has spent in the Sunshine State in recent years.”

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1935696763471503767

The Governor’s playful threat to make the Stanley Cup an official Florida resident sent shockwaves through the hockey world.

DeSantis wasn’t just bragging either.

Look at what Florida teams have done lately.

Tampa Bay won the Cup in 2020 and 2021, then made it back to the Final in 2022.

The Panthers just finished their own back-to-back run.

Do the math – that’s four Stanley Cups out of the last five years for Florida.

Panthers prove Florida is hockey’s new home

This Panthers team didn’t just get lucky twice.

They’ve got the kind of roster that makes other teams jealous.

Head coach Paul Maurice couldn’t contain his excitement about the team’s roster.

“Well, this is a heck of a team. This is the best team I’ve ever coached from a talent point of view,” Maurice said via Yahoo Sports. “Is Anton Lundell our third-line center? Because I think he’s plus-20 in the playoffs. He’s a brilliant young player. If that’s your third line, you’re gonna win a lot of games.”

That offensive depth showed up big time in the playoffs.

Sam Bennett torched opposing goalies for 15 goals and walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy.

But Bennett had plenty of help.

Sam Reinhart lit the lamp 11 times while Brad Marchand – the guy they grabbed from Boston at the deadline – chipped in 10 more goals.

Marchand brought that championship experience when it mattered most in the Cup Final.

Florida’s hockey dynasty continues to grow

Here’s how rare this Panthers run really is.

Only three South Florida teams have ever won back-to-back championships.

The 1972-73 Dolphins, the 2012-13 Heat, and now these Panthers.

But here’s what makes this hockey thing so crazy.

Florida used to be where hockey careers went to die.

Empty arenas, zero buzz, teams that nobody outside the state cared about.

Fast forward to today and the Panthers just beat the same Edmonton team they faced last year.

Only this time they got it done in six games instead of seven.

Sergei Bobrovsky – “Bob” to the fans down there – played every single playoff game.

He started all 23 playoff games this season, posting a 16-7 record with a 2.20 goals-against average and three shutouts.

DeSantis puts hockey world on notice

DeSantis’ comment about granting the Stanley Cup Florida residency wasn’t just a joke.

It was a statement about Florida’s new position as the center of the hockey universe.

The Governor’s playful executive order threat highlighted how comfortable the Stanley Cup has become in the Sunshine State.

With Florida teams dominating the sport, other hockey markets are starting to take notice.

The last Canadian team to win the Cup? The Montreal Canadiens back in 1993.

That’s 32 years and counting.

Meanwhile, Florida teams keep hoisting Lord Stanley’s trophy.

Kids across the state are trading their baseball gloves for hockey sticks.

Youth leagues that used to struggle to fill rosters now have waiting lists.

The Panthers went from playing in front of half-empty buildings to having the hottest ticket in South Florida.