FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Three members of the Toronto Maple Leafs are taking home some pretty cool souvenirs from their trip to Florida.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, forward Steven Lorentz and goalie Anthony Stolarz received their Stanley rings in a special private ceremony at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility on Wednesday before Toronto’s game against their former team at Amerant Bank Arena (7:30 p.m.). Cup Championship 2024 ET; SCRIPPS, SNW, SNO, SN1).

The Panthers received their fancy rings – including 554 diamonds – in a special ceremony Oct. 7 at the War Memorial Auditorium next to the team’s Baptist Health IcePlex.

Players who left the Panthers after last season had to wait for their championship jewelry.

Sure, the Panthers could have mailed the rings, but these small ceremonies with their former teammates seem a little more special.

“We didn’t know if they were going to be shipped out or if they were going to do something when we got to town,” said Lorentz, who like Ekman-Larsson and Stolarz spent one season with the Panthers before moving to the United States as a free agent Low season. “It was definitely worth the wait. It was great to see everyone, shake their hands and get a few hugs. It was definitely special. But we have a job to do tonight. We’re not going to come in and make it easy for (these) guys.”

After the Panthers finished their morning run, the remaining members of the 2024 Stanley Cup championship team, as well as members of the front office and coaching staff, gathered in a meeting room at the facility.

Stolarz said when the three players entered, they were greeted by Panthers general manager Bill Zito.

The three custom-made boxes containing the rings lay on a table, surrounded by her former teammates.

After Zito said a few words, the players opened their boxes to the applause of their former teammates.

The 2024 championship was the first for all three.

“It was a great feeling, a lot of emotions to be honest,” Ekman-Larsson said. “After everything we went through last year and the battle with this group, the boys were very emotional but also had a lot of fun. What we had there was special and that’s why we had the chance to go all the way. That will never change. … I’m very grateful for that.”

These three players are not the first former Panthers to receive their rings in a private ceremony.

When the Panthers played their second game of the season at the Ottawa Senators, they brought Nick Cousins’ ring with them and gave it to him there.

The Panthers will likely pack up Brandon Montour’s ring and present it to the defenseman when they visit the Seattle Kraken next month.

The rings were created by Josten’s and are made entirely of 14k yellow gold with 554 diamonds, 16 princess-cut rubies, one round genuine ruby, nine round genuine blue sapphires and 37 round genuine yellow sapphires.

The one ruby ​​sits on one side of the ring where the player’s name and number are.

The state of Florida is outlined in diamonds. The ruby ​​is supposed to show where Broward County is.

“It’s obviously huge and I really don’t know where I’m going to wear it. It takes up a lot of space,” Lorentz said. “They did a great job. They opened the boxes while all the boys were present in the room so we could all see. It brought back a lot of great memories.”

Florida coach Paul Maurice said he was able to spend a few minutes with his former players and said it was great to see and connect with them.

It also served as a reminder of what they all accomplished together.

“I see them in here or on the ice, and you’ll look into their eyes and it’ll bring back a flood of memories of what an incredible time that was,” Maurice said. “You can keep this. “You don’t walk around thinking about it all day, but every now and then you get a surprise reminder to take a 30-second warm bath that you slip into and feel how beautiful the last year was and how great that was.”