FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A day after the Florida Panthers clinched their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup finals, fans were snapping up gear at the official team shop in Fort Lauderdale.
"We had to get 'blinged out' and 'swagged out,' fan Roger Leavy said. "It's just what we needed to do."
WATCH BELOW: Panthers fans stock up on gear ahead of Stanley Cup finals
Leavy and his wife, April, said Wednesday's series clincher was a bit of a rollercoaster, but they never doubted the team would come through.
"From the top to the bottom, management is going after the right people," April Leavy said. "This year, with [Brad] Marchand and Seth Jones, their team is like ... It's unbeatable. So, we're excited, and we know what the end result is going to be."
The gift shop at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale was packed Thursday with all kinds of Panthers merchandise that included racks of jerseys, including fan favorites like star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Other cool gear for sale includes Stanley Cup bobbleheads and a wide selection of hats.
Gayle Galke was among those stocking up on new Panthers gear when WPTV visited the team shop on Thursday.
"[I'm buying items for my] grandson, end of the school year gifts and my son's birthday," Galke said. "He said, 'Get me a Panthers jersey,' and so that's why I'm here."
Jacob Schwartz bought a new jersey on Thursday, keeping a tradition alive.
"The last three years, we won the Eastern Conference finals," Schwartz said. "Three years ago, we bought a jersey. I bought an (Aleksander Barkov jersey), and we wore them to the Stanley Cup finals; It's kind of our deal."
Florida will either play the Edmonton Oilers, whom Florida defeated in seven games last year to claim their first Stanley Cup, or the Dallas Stars. If the Oilers defeat the Stars on Thursday to close out their series, the finals would start June 4.
Single-game tickets for the Stanley Cup Final will go on sale to the general public on Friday at 3 p.m. on SeatGeek.com.
