BOCA RATON, Fla. — Five years ago, Gary Townsend was bored during COVID-19 and wanted to find fun activities in South Florida when he stumbled upon Panthers tickets.
Now, Townsend is a Panthers fanatic who's front and center at every home game.
Gary Townsend visited Florida for years, but six years ago, he decided to move from New Jersey to Palm Beach County.
"I wanted to escape from the Northeast from the winters and the taxes," said Townsend.
He owned a kitchen design company in New Jersey and was nervous about starting a new business in a new state, but he took a leap of faith and opened Palm Beach Kitchen Design.
He earned the nickname "The Kitchen Guy," but even the kitchen guru needed a getaway.
"After moving here to Florida during COVID, there was no hockey happening, and after hockey started back up again, I started going to some Panthers games," said Townsend.
After game one, he was an instant fan and remembers the exact moment he was hooked.
"I was sitting behind the bench, and I happened to notice a player, Ryan Lomberg, number 94; he's no longer with the team," said Townsend, who remembers Lomberg sang the national anthem at the top of his lungs and captured the crowd's attention.
"It really struck me that somebody from Canada would care so much about being so patriotic to the United States, then I saw him skate, and he began to be my favorite player," said Townsend.
Lomberg was a key player in last year's Stanley Cup Final. It was a moment Townsend will never forget.
"Seeing a Stanley Cup series win is a rare thing, and I got to be there for that, and had I not been a season ticket holder, it might not have happened," said Townsend.
The Kitchen Guy hopes the same for this year.
