POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk continued his Stanley Cup championship tour Thursday morning by making a stop at Raising Cane’s in Pompano Beach.
He arrived at the restaurant known for its chicken fingers just before 10 a.m. and spent time with fans who were all eager to meet and congratulate him.
“I brought my pictures, I printed them, and I also brought a bag so he could sign it,” said Terri, a Panthers fan.
Sky 10 flew over the restaurant where hundreds of fans were seen lining up at the door waiting for the chance to meet their hockey hero.
By the end of the day, Tkachuk’s hand will likely be tired, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet those who have supported him and the entire team through to Game 7.
“Everybody during the game would always yell ‘Chucky, Chucky!’ when he did something, so I thought it would be great to get a Chucky doll and put a Panthers jersey on him,” said Panthers fan Monty Pike.
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The Panthers players had their dancing shoes on as they celebrated with the Cup at E11EVEN Miami on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Hugs, tears, sweat— you name it! This Stanley Cup has seen it all, from beer chugs to a quick splash in the Atlantic and even pasta dinners.
Many fans at Raising Cane’s told Local 10 News they felt like they were a big part of the Panthers’ first championship in franchise history.
“Not only did they win the Cup, but they’ve been amazing to the fans. I’ve never seen a team literally go hug every fan,” said Panthers fan Jordan Crudo.
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“This is one of the coolest moments of our life probably. They are our heroes and they deserve everything,” another fan at the event said.
For rising hockey stars Chase, Cooper, and Fin, meeting their favorite player was a dream come true.
“Yeah, that was so cool,” said Chase, who had Tkachuk sign his jersey.
“He is my favorite on the Panthers,” Cooper added.
Their experience was made possible by their big sister, Reagan Vanbuskirk, who drove them to the event early in the morning.
“I am just super happy that they got to experience this because the first Stanley Cup doesn’t happen a lot,” said Vanbuskirk.
After greeting fans outside, Tkachuk signed more autographs, gave fist bumps, handshakes, and expressed his excitement for the upcoming Parade of Champions on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
“To see the transformation of what it is going to look like at the parade. To have the cup there, to see all the fans—I have been looking forward to this day my whole entire life, so I can’t wait,” Tkachuk said.
When speaking with Tkachuk, he shared that the support from fans has been amazing.
Tkachuk told Local 10 News that he cherished the moment after the game when he and his teammates were at his house, going through the names on the Cup, sharing stories, and knowing their names would be etched in history.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Tkachuk were also spotted with the Cup at Catch Miami Beach.
Preparations continue for the anticipated parade this Sunday at Fort Lauderdale Beach, which will go from Riomar Street on A1A all the way to Southeast Fifth Street.
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Fans will have another opportunity to meet Panthers center Sam Reinhart, who is expected to be at Dick’s Sporting Goods inside the Sawgrass Mills Mall at 6 p.m.