LAS VEGAS – Florida Panthers fans were out in full force in Las Vegas Saturday as the team gets ready to take on the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Local 10 News spoke with Panthers fan Esther Rush who can’t wait for the pick to finally drop.
“Vegas is always great but a Stanley Cup Final--I can’t believe it,” she said.
Rush was just one of the many diehard fans that was in the place they call “Sin City.”
Rush is a season ticket holder that has more than 20 jerseys and said she’s no stranger to following the Cats on the road.
“I go to every single game, anywhere from between three and five away games a year. I’ve seen the Panthers play in 26 arenas including Helsinki and Finland,” she said.
This is the first time since 1996 that the Panthers will have a chance to play for the Stanley Cup while Vegas made it to the Final during the 2017-2018 season.
Regardless of who wins, history will be made because neither team has won the cup.
On Saturday, Local 10 News reported that Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis has made a friendly wager with his Las Vegas counterpart before the start of the Stanley Cup Final.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman would have to wear a Florida Panthers jersey around downtown Las Vegas if the team wins the series against the Vegas Golden Knights and Trantalis must do the same in downtown Fort Lauderdale if her team wins.
Local 10 News reporter Ian Margol did his part in trying to convince Lord Stanley that South Florida is the place to be after the Stanley Cup stopped by the Local 10 News studios on Wednesday.
The Panthers announced that they will be holding a road rally watch party at FLA Live Arena for fans that were unable to make it to Las Vegas.
For more information on how to attend the watch party, click here.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and the Panthers is set for Saturday evening at T-Mobile Arena.
The puck is set to drop at 8 p.m.