Fans are flooding to Fort Lauderdale for a massive parade celebrating the Florida Panthers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup win.
Thousands of fans will gather at noon where the oceanfront along A1A will provide a tropical setting to pay tribute to the hockey team.
Despite high temperatures and a chance of rain, the traffic getting to the beach is already jammed.
Ever since they clinched the Stanley Cup Final for a second year in a row, the Panthers have been Team No Sleep. On the morning of a parade that’s expected to draw tens of thousands of people to Fort Lauderdale Beach, fans are expecting them to keep the same energy.
“It feels great. It’s the first Stanley Cup I won; it was an awesome experience. The city’s on fire right now. Everyone is enjoying it with each other,†said Seth Jones Saturday at a meet and greet in MAI-KAI.
“Very excited to be doing this two years in a row, very fortunate after 30 years and now 31 years, to get two back-to-back wins, and we’re going to go for a threepeat,†said fan Tim Ellis.
“You see them finally get their reward, the enjoyment of all the fans coming together and showing support. That’s what Florida is about,†said another fan.
The parade kicks off at 12:00 p.m. and will begin at Riomar Street and A1A.
“We’ve been out here since nine o’clock. Who else can throw a better championship parade than the Panthers?” said a fan at a bar in Fort Lauderdale. “Nobody else has this stuff. Two great years, we’re looking for a third year next year. It’s awesome.”
“I mean, we’re so lucky. I mean, we have a great organization that can put us in this position. I mean, go panthers.” said the same fan.
There will be coverage from 7News around the area, with plenty of things to do.
“We’re gonna catch these guys, maybe walk down to the stage, see the presentation, but, I mean, we’re having a great time.” said the fan.
As the Panthers and management arrive to the oceanfront, Florida Panthers General Manager, Bill Zito, gave 7News an opportunity to hop on the bus and ask about the prospect of keeping the winning team together.
“We want to keep everybody together. If we can’t, it’s okay.” said Zito. “People get paid and there’s a salary cap, but we’re going to try. You can’t say, ‘Oh we’re going to ‘Three-peat,’ but certainly, everyday we go to work it’s to win. That’s it. All we care about is winning. So when we start from there, actually, fun becomes a part of winning, and that’s what we think fuels the fire.”