2024 Stanley Cup Champions

Old Feud Renewed Between Aaron Ekblad and Brooks Koepka

Published

5 months ago

July 1, 2024

FORT LAUDERDALE — Aaron Ekblad tried to stamp out the flames of a rivalry with professional golfer Brooks Koepka last year.

He tossed a can of gasoline on it Sunday afternoon.

Ekblad, showing that he does not have a short memory, came to the microphone during the team’s Stanley Cup Championship Celebration with an orange traffic cone on his head — one, not unlike the one Koepka taunted him with last season.

“F- you Brooks Koepka!’’ Ekblad shouted to wild applause from the large crowd gathered on the beach.

Some may not remember the story of the pro golfer and the All-Star defenseman, but those in the crowd Sunday certainly did.

Last season, following a New York Rangers goal, Koepka went viral after being caught on cellphone video by Florida fan @David954FLA.

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The golfer, who has often claimed to be a big fan of the team, somehow procured a traffic cone — which is a derogatory term for a slow defenseman — and was holding it up in the air toward Ekblad.

If there was any confusion to what Koepka’s message was, he yelled out “Ekblad you suck!”

Although Ekblad’s initial reaction to Koepka was that the two were “not buddies. Will never be buddies,’’ he softened on that stance weeks later.

LIV Golf Superstar Brooks Koepka has a message for Aaron Ekblad.

“F’ing traffic cone” #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/j2y7dJio0g

— David (@David954FLA) March 25, 2023

Koepka admitted at a press conference that he and his buddies had been drinking at the game that night.

Ekblad said that Ryan Lomberg facilitated a text from Koepka in which he apologized.

A big golf fan himself, Ekblad said he had placed a bet on the Masters in 2024, and put money on Koepka to win.

“I actually bet on him to win the tournament but it didn’t work out,” Ekblad said.

Really?

“He texted me and apologized and I am cool with it,” Ekblad said,

“That is part of being intense and maybe he had some money on the game. At the end of the day, it’s just sports and we all get intense sometimes. It is what it is. … He did what he did and he apologized.

“Holding ill will against somebody and pulling negativity in your body is never a good thing.”

OK then.