TAMARAC, Fla. – Stanley Cup champions Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand brought the celebration back to Broward County on Friday, trading in their hockey sticks for chicken fingers and Blizzards as fans lined up to see two of the Panthers’ biggest stars during a whirlwind day of festivities.
Reinhart, who scored four goals in the decisive Game 6 win earlier this week, was the guest of honor at the fast-food chain’s Tamrac location — but he wasn’t just there to pose for photos.
Reinhart was scheduled to serve chicken fingers and fries to the Panthers faithful from 10–11 a.m.
The crowd began forming early. Some fans said they arrived as early as 6 a.m. to make sure they had a chance to see Reinhart.
Stephanie, a fan who brought her family along, said the Panthers’ back-to-back championships have brought the South Florida community closer together.
“If there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s party and have fun,” she said. “It’s just so much fun to celebrate something like this with everyone.”
The excitement at Raising Cane’s was part of a whirlwind celebration tour that’s taken the Panthers from ice to nightclub — and now, to a chicken restaurant in Broward County.
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Reinhart joked with reporters that he was lucky no one gave him a sobriety test after celebrating into the early morning hours at the club the night before.
“We’re certainly enjoying this one,” Reinhart said. “If we’ve learned anything, when the time comes, we’ll be prepared and we’ll be ready and motivated to do it again … but in this moment, it’s all about the second one.”
Marchand picked up the party in Sunrise, where he surprised fans at Dairy Queen by serving up free chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzards — now officially renamed “The Brad Blizzard.”
The treat became part of the team’s good-luck ritual late in the season, and Marchand made sure fans could get in on the superstition that helped lead to the Cup.
“Honestly, everything tastes better when it comes with a win … or in the Cup,” joked one fan who received their Blizzard from Marchand himself.
On Thursday night, several players were spotted celebrating at Club E11EVEN in downtown Miami, where they partied into the early morning hours, Cup in hand.
Now, all eyes turn to Fort Lauderdale, where final preparations are underway for Sunday’s championship parade along A1A. The 1.2-mile route will stretch from Riomar Street past the Elbo Room and wrap up on Las Olas Boulevard, where a stage is already in place for team speeches and fan festivities.
City officials are urging attendees to plan ahead. Parking is limited, and they recommend ride-sharing or using the water taxi, which is offering $15 round-trip rides for the event.
As for the Stanley Cup, it’s already suffered a minor dent and crack in the days since Tuesday night’s win but has been fixed ahead of the big parade.
In the meantime, the celebration shows no signs of slowing down. And in Tamarac, fried chicken and championship hockey made for the perfect pairing.
