Some arrived early as 6:30 Sunday morning.
By 7:30, you have been thought of late. By, 9 a.m., there was no extra elbow room on the Fort Lauderdale bar referred to as Elbo Room. 1000’s of followers made positive to get their seats for the Florida Panthers parade to have fun the primary Stanley Cup in franchise historical past.
The occasion concludes a weeklong celebration for a staff that many thought wouldn’t final within the NHL when it was conceived in 1993-94. Thirty-one years later, the Panthers can say they hosted the perfect post-championship celebration in all of South Florida sports activities.
Not the Marlins. Not the Warmth. And positively not the Dolphins, who final tasted a title in 1974.
The Panthers have spent most of their tenure enjoying in anonymity. Followers have all the time gravitated towards the extra established franchises within the space, however profitable equates to assist.
It began final yr after they reached the Finals solely to lose to the Las Vegas Knights. It carried over to this season with the Panthers rolling by means of the postseason earlier than holding off the Edmonton Oilers in seven video games.
The celebration began the subsequent morning, with Panthers ahead Matthew Tkachuk and others bringing the Stanley Cup to Elbo Room, the oldest bar in Fort Lauderdale. The Cup posed with followers. It took a dip within the Atlantic Ocean. It was even used as a pasta bowl for Panthers legend Robert Luongo.
And Sunday morning is simply the start of what ought to be an epic day for South Florida sports activities.
Shandel Richardson is the writer of Inside The Warmth. He could be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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