It was a perfect, sunny Sunday in Sunrise, which was good news for Florida Panthers fans.
That’s because the team held Pantherfest 2024 at Amerant Bank Arena, and much of the outdoor asphalt was used for fun.
The event was invitation-only for territory members, which is what the Panthers call their season seat holders.
Traditional carnival games, interactive sports booths, a snow cone station, floor hockey, music, face painting and much more were brought to the rink.
The good thing for those in attendance was that the Panthers players were present throughout the entire event, and not just sitting in a chair signing autographs.
You could shoot water to blow up a balloon against Mackie Samoskevich before playing some soccer with Anton Lundell or hockey with Carter Verhaeghe, then chatting with Spencer Knight while he helped you prepare a frozen treat.
There was also a face painting station, autograph sessions and a question and answer session with fans and Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.
It sure seemed like a good time for everyone involved, especially the younger fans.
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Roy Sonenshein
Today, there are more territory members than ever before.
The Panthers announced before the season that the team had completely exhausted its season tickets for the first time in franchise history.
Last season, Florida sold out all of its lower-tier season seats, so it’s not too surprising to see that what was left was picked up after the team went out and won the Stanley Cup in June.
That being the case, some fans said they encountered longer lines and couldn’t fit everything they wanted to do into the four hours Pantherfest took place.
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Roy Sonenshein
Overall, you have to give it to the Panthers to put on such a fun and friendly event for thousands of their fans.
It sure seemed like everyone, including the players, had a lot of fun in and out of the arena on Sunday.
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