[Must See] Newlyweds Sam Bennett and his wife Zoe shake a leg to the Panthers’ goal song on their first couples' wedding dance

Weeks after helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers, forward Sam Bennett tied the knot with his partner Zoey Zeleny. The couple seemingly celebrated the reception in Panthers' style.

A viral video shared by the Instagram account “Hockey Forever” showed the newlyweds walking into their wedding reception to the Panthers’ goal song. The caption of the post read:

“Sam Bennett and his wife walked into their wedding reception to the Panthers’ goal song. 💍🔥”

As the music played and the couple twirled on the dance floor, wedding guests waved handkerchiefs like rally towels, recreating the home game atmosphere similar to the energy in Amerant Bank Arena.

Zoe Zeleny is a dedicated animal welfare volunteer. The couple bonded over their shared passion for animals and community service, which inspired them to create their joint charity, Benny’s Buddies. Zoe has volunteered at the Humane Society of Broward County for over a year, where she helps care for dogs and cats.

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Sam Bennett and Zoey Zeleny believe in a shared cause

Earlier last month, Sam Bennett signed an eight-year contract with the Florida Panthers worth $64 million with an AAV of $8 million. This new deal more than doubles his previous cap hit of $4.425 million and secures his place with the Panthers through the 2032-33 season.

Shortly after signing his new contract, Bennett highlighted his charitable work by wearing a “Benny’s Buddies” hat during a Zoom call. Benny’s Buddies is a program he started with his now wife, Zoe Zeleny, aimed at supporting animal adoption. For every goal Bennett scores, the program pays the adoption fee for a pet at the Humane Society of Broward County.

The initiative grew from Bennett’s love of animals and Zoe’s volunteer work at the shelter. They recently adopted a dog themselves and wanted to create a way to help other animals find homes.

“We ended up adopting a dog from the shelter here a couple weeks ago and then we just had the idea that we want to do something else to help all the other pets, dogs and cats that are here and available to get adopted,” he said.

“So, we thought about the program, Benny’s Buddies, and to sponsor the adoption fee of any pet for every goal I score this year is what we’re going to do. It’s a great cause and I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

The timing of the contract came soon after Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy and helped the Panthers claim their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

During the 2024-25 regular season, Bennett set career highs with 51 points, including 25 goals and 26 assists. Bennett also excelled in the playoffs, scoring an NHL record 13 goals on the road and finishing with 15 total playoff goals, which earned him MVP honors.