SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The final score of the Florida game Saturday: Panthers 7, Columbus Blue Jackets 6.
And on the scoreboard, it read “6 7.”
Panthers, meet a phenomenon.
The viral term “6-7” was the talk of the Panthers’ locker room after their overtime win, even though the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions — like pretty much everybody else on the planet — have no idea what it means.
“I don’t know what is going on with this 6-7 thing,” said Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who scored the winning goal in overtime. “But it’s funny that’s how it ended tonight.”
It seems possible that Bennett knows more about the craze than he’s letting on. In the on-ice postgame interview with Panthers sideline reporter Katie Engleson of Scripps Sports, Bennett made the juggling hands gesture that has become synonymous with whatever 6-7 is.
The 6-7 craze is so popular that Dictionary.com announced the phrase as its word of the year, even though it’s not actually a word.
“Don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means,” the site said in October when it made the decision.
The popular theory is that 6-7 gained popularity from rapper Skrilla’s song from 2024 called “Doot Doot (6-7)” that made it into TikTok videos and other social media mentions. NFL players have used it in touchdown celebrations as well.
And it’s like the Panthers knew a game like this was coming. They played Saturday and play again at home Sunday, which means they’re playing on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 — so, yes, they’re calling this “6-7 weekend.”
“Yeah, 6-7 night, 6-7 score, I’m sure the kids will have a lot of fun with that,” Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. “I know my kids were up there doing the ol’ 6-7 dance. It’s fun when those things happen.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice made clear that he has “no idea” what any of it means.
“I will reiterate there’s a whole bunch of things I don’t need to know or investigate, research, or understand better than I do now,” Maurice said. “So, let’s all just leave it right there.”
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