By Robbie Lastella
In what is typically the heart of the spring break capital of the world, Las Olas Boulevard was the epicenter of a Hockey Town on Sunday, as fans mobbed the streets starting as early as 3:30 in the morning for the Florida Panthers Championship parade.
In true spring break fashion the bars were buzzing across the street from the ceremony setup on the Beach, as Elbo Room opened its doors at 8 AM, welcoming in a voracious crowd that left a line out to the street by 9 AM. Las Olas Boulevard and the surrounding areas filled during the early hours of the morning and by 10 AM it was “Spring Break on steroids,” as one fan described it, but that’s when Florida decided to do what it does best and bring in a daytime summer thunderstorm.
However, these were Florida Fans in Florida weather, and they weren’t letting anything stop them. Although it was a torrential downpour, with major lightning strikes within 5 miles of the area, the party went on with the fans who were camped in front of the stage singing Panthers Pulse and 7 Nation Army back-to-back.
People oftentimes like to knock South Florida sports fan culture for being fair-weather, but the diehards who have been on this scene for years have dealt with tough times, weathered the storm, and today was a true example trusting the process. The hour before the parade officially started truly encapsulated what Florida sports culture is, people banded together when times got tough, it was a sense of community, and it was truly a spectacle.
The rain slowly dissipated into a light on-and off shower and any worry about a cancellation subsided around Noon, as the Double Decker buses carrying South Florida’s Finest descended upon Panther nation draped across barriers lining Las Olas.
Whether it was Aaron Ekblad and his father David showing off their matching Stanley Cup Tattoos, or Matthew Tkachuk and his father Keith sharing a drink out of a miniature Stanley Cup, or Evan Rodrigues walking the streets with his Baby Ella in his arms, that sense of community continued through the parade and involved into a sense of family.
After a stroll through Las Olas, the team descended upon Ft. Lauderdale Beach, the Atlantic Ocean to their right, but directly in front of a sea of people, bigger than any spring break crowd in recent memory. That crowd was in for a treat, as many panthers’ heroes addressed them, from Executives Bill Zito, Vinnie Viola, and Matt Caldwell, to players Alex Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky, even Panthers’ legend & Special Advisor Roberto Luongo made an appearance, saying “We thank you guys. 30 years, we’ve waited, the most beautiful moment who gives a sh*t about the rain, nobody cares.”
The family and community feeling were there through the whole ceremony, but specifically when Paul Maurice stepped up to the stage, going from a Coach who was retired, to now a Championship Coach embraced by an entire hockey town. His road traveled wasn’t easy, but he did it with his family and team by his side, and his two cats Poppy and Penny, both of whom he displayed to the Crowd on his shirt.
“My Two Cats, this is Poppy,” Maurice said as he pointed at one side of his shirt. “And this is Penny. Those are my two cats; my daughter made this shirt, and I promised her if we win the Stanley Cup. I’m wearing that shirt.”
Although the Championship parade is now over, and Free Agency is looming over a Panther’s team with a few possible departures, nothing can take away what this team accomplished both on and off the ice. The Cats’ on the ice accomplishments are immense and will be remembered throughout Hockey History, but it’s bringing a community together like they did today, and all season, which is what South Florida will truly remember about this team.
Although it rained on their parade quite literally, the Panthers executed the most Florida event of all time flawlessly on Sunday afternoon, embracing the community no matter what hurdles got thrown at them and that is what Florida is all about.
Photos from Bleacher Brothers photographer Christian Proscia