Now that I’ve had some time to let this sink in a bit…
I became a Panther fan when the team was trash and languishing. It seemed like an endless vortex of ineptitude from which there was no escape.
And then with new ownership and new management, it all changed.
I’m so happy for my five-year-old son , who got the chance to celebrate this championship with his dad. My son almost didn’t survive at one point due to an ailment he has now fully recovered from. He’s just a little guy who loves his Florida Panthers, and during some dark times in the past I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to celebrate a championship with him. It happened tonight, and we’ll never forget it.
I’m so happy for everyone involved with this organization. Literally everyone, from the trainers, to the office staff, to our management, the coaches, the players, the broadcasters (especially Goldy!), they all deserve this.
I’m so happy for Roberto Luongo, who never got a chance to lift the cup as an active player.
I’m so happy for Paul Maurice, who finally won a championship that has eluded him for his entire long and storied career.
I’m so happy for Sasha Barkov, who has been the class of the league for years and the best two-way centerman in the NHL. Our captain.
I’m so happy for Matthew Tkachuk, who chose this franchise as his top destination and wanted to be part of the solution here.
I’m so happy for Sergei Bobrovsky, an elite goaltender and one who can finally add a Stanley Cup to his already impressive resume.
I’m so happy for Bill Zito and his staff, who single-handedly transformed this organization into a winner. He established a winning culture from day one and never looked back.
I’m so happy for each and every one of you who’ve stuck with this and never gave up and kept watching even when, at times, it was frustrating and difficult and seemingly hopeless. You all deserve this moment.
This is just hockey. I get it. It’s just a game. But I’m a big believer in deriving life lessons from things that can appear trivial. What I’ve learned since following this Panther team is, and I know this is a cliche, but never give up. Just never, ever give up. For many of us, our loyalty to this franchise only yielded disappointment season after season. But we stuck with it and kept watching and kept hoping and kept waiting for the right combination of players to come together to truly achieve something special. That finally happened.
I haven’t been here from the very beginning, I was a fan of another team once. But I’m going to die a Florida Panthers fan - and I want to thank you guys for the insight and discussion here on these boards.
I’m not the most eloquent hockey mind on here, but there’s one thing I know - I love this team. I’ll never stop rooting for this team.
And tonight, I get to call them STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS.