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SoFlaBarbie

It’s surreal. As the clock was ticking down last night, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that the Cats were the last one standing. I mean, I knew they were the best team in playoffs but to actually see them do it in Game 7 at home was incredible (and I watched it from my couch. I can’t even imagine what it was like to be in the barn.)


OliHenbean

I felt same. It was all just happening, so surreal. The seconds counting down was something I will never forget. Don’t think I’ve ever screamed so loud and long at goals - it came every part of my body. I honestly don’t remember exactly what happened when clock finished.


MaddenStar10720

i jumped so high on the reinhart goal i touched my living room ceiling i was so happy.


OliHenbean

Haha I believe it! That’s awesome. 🥰


junglecat84

I made my 5 year old son start crying. He just happened to be walking up to tell me something when the Cats scored the first goal. I jumped up and hollered and clapped and he got started and started crying.


OliHenbean

lol 😂 one day he might have a moment when he understands the pure intense emotion. That game it seems the emotions were just on a different unexpected level. This is obviously different, however I was content to watch the game at home with my dog, but he witnessed many of the sporadic reactions all playoffs and would always look at me confused. I thought he might be relieved not having to sit with me for another game bc I probably seemed erratic and unpredictably happy and excited with no context for him lol.


ceruleanisacolor

I have been emotional over the SCF commercial where there’s 15 seconds left and they show all the winning teams anticipating the countdown. When we hit 15 I was screaming “this is it!! This is our 15 seconds!!!” 😭😭😭


SoFlaBarbie

Have you seen the NHL’s “the moment” video yet? If not, go to Twitter and watch it. It’s video of the final seconds on the ice as Doug and Billy call the game. You will love it!


ceruleanisacolor

I am twitter illiterate and can’t find it. Can you please link it 😬😬😬


SoFlaBarbie

https://x.com/NHL/status/1805481160853631186


314z

For those without twix account, paste the link at this site to download [https://savetwitter.net/en/twitter-image-downloader](https://savetwitter.net/en/twitter-image-downloader)


crizzo13

Love that you can see Ekholm slam his stick at the end of the game from that view. Coming from a flyers fan here in Miami I’m happy my friends got to experience it.


SoFlaBarbie

Yes!!! The dejection on the face of Hyman who is the on boards in front of the camera too. It’s such a great video capturing the moment from both teams.


crizzo13

Pretty sure that was Hyman


OliHenbean

Ahh I heard the audio, and saw video of the audio to the end of the game but this is amazing, thank you for sharing!!


gtrmanny

Billy was about to pass out. You can tell he broke down at the end there. He must have been sobbing. I heard him on the radio recently and he said he hasn't watched the trophy presentation since they lost in 93. Said it hurts too much. Now he's part of the organization when they won. Happy for him.


Mufusm

Please link it!


CosmoJones07

Thought the same thing, like damn we're gonna be in this montage next year.


OliHenbean

Yes!! Same, that thought was going through my mind (among many others and almost simultaneously feeling like I had not a single thought in my head) it was really impactful and one feeling/memory I’ll never forget 🥹😭


MaddenStar10720

i had a seizure lmao. i was shaking when they were on the walls and the i yelled “HOLY SHIT THEY DID IT!” one of the happiest moments of my life.


Emotional_Match8169

I definitely held my breath on the last 10 seconds. I could not believe my eyes. I'm a longtime fan and felt like I was dreaming.


dinnerdigzthejeager

I started actually crying after that counter went to zero and gloves came off. A franchise that not only couple years ago had a 25 year playoff series win drought. Had terrible attendance during that time and was arguably the most irrelevant franchise in the NHL has now avenged themselfs. It feel this very satisfying felling of proving the world wrong.


MarylandBlue

Same, I fell to my knees and was sobbing. I went up to tell my wife, it she was still awake and had the game on too. She asked if I was crying, I said yes and then we hugged and I cried some more. I can't put into words why this one meant so much more than the Marlins or Hear or Canes titles, but it really did. Maybe it was the journey to get there?


dinnerdigzthejeager

That's adorable man i'm the only hockey fan in my household so kinda just started quietly fist pumping the air in my room😹 And yeah it's definitely the journey those other franchises have nothing on the Panthers various Legacy of failure streaks. Compared to the other Miami teams the Panthers where just kinda there i assume for South Florida fans. And now they're HERE.


poopin1000

Just talking about this with my wife…..I don’t remember the 2 Marlins titles or the last Canes Championship feeling like this……… maybe it’s the years of it being us against the world, whether it’s hate or just being the punchline to a joke……but I will say that today was a GREAT day


PekkaBoi123

As a Finn, this feels like the biggest victory of all time, in all sports history.


SoFlaBarbie

Cats don’t do it without the Finns on the team. Celebrate this, Finlandia! It’s yours too!


airbag23

Finland deserves a stick! Sticks for everyone!


SSJBE-Vegeta

Barkov is a national treasure for both Finland and the U.S.


MrOverkill5150

My brain immediately thought dolphins then I realized what you meant lol


Eclectic_Mudokon

SUOMIIIIIIII!!!!!


KeystoneHockey1776

Inst barkov ethically Russian?


crizzo13

Parents are Russian but born and raised in Finland


Murhawk013

The last 10 seconds are what I imagine a direct injection of the finest crack feels like


Box_of_leftover_lego

I see myself as a casual Panthers fan. I watch when I can, but they're not my primary team. When they won the cup, turns out I'm a bigger fan than I thought because I teared up when Barkov and Bob hoisted. VAMOS GATOS! Congrats to everyone.


PabLink1127

Those last few seconds ticking off.. I’m getting goosies just thinking about it now.


DrManhattan_DDM

As soon as they pinned it to the boards with about 10 seconds left I freaking lost it.


PabLink1127

What a game. I love that it comes down to the last second. Unlike in the NBA where you can know it’s done 15 minutes before it happens.


DrManhattan_DDM

Having it come down to the last second or having it decided with double digit minutes left to play are both possible and fairly common in both sports though.


PabLink1127

This is true but I feel like a one score game happens more often in basketball where as even if it’s close in basketball you get the last 30 seconds stretched out on free throws and fouls.


MaddenStar10720

me too!


airbag23

I slept about 3 hours and still don’t feel tired


RoDelta1

Same. What a high.


exigy1

Omg, same!


YouSeemNiceXB

Do you know the feeling where, like you just don't care about anything anymore? Like you're completely at peace with everything and everyone? Like Christmas, when you're a kid, and as you get older you just love that time of year because everyone seems just a LITTLE bit nicer to each other. It's like that. It's like a hug from your grandma. It's like a 75 degree day in April without a cloud in the sky. It's like looking at everything good in your life from that movie-style "top down" view and just being happy. I had nothing to do with this victory, other than be a fan since 1993, little 9 year old me running around in my panthers t-shirts, but outside of my wedding day, I've never been this content, not even happy, just contented. It'll last at least all summer, and honestly, I don't care what happens in sports anymore. This buys 5 years of not caring. I really hope you get it. I hope EVERYONE gets to experience this. Do it for our boy Tippett. Also, seeing Gritty with the cup would be hilarious. Edit: Even Leafs fans. I hope Dangle gets to celebrate one.


Spear994

Man I HATE the Leafs, but love Dangle. I really hope him, Adam and Jesse get to experience this.


Imm0rTALDETHSpEctrE

tbh it's surreal af rn....haha I'm homeless and I don't even care bc we're the fucking CHAMPIONS 🐀💯


Murhawk013

The last 10 seconds are what I imagine a direct injection of the finest crack feels like


Imm0rTALDETHSpEctrE

nah man it don't even come close *scratches neck*


Good_wolf

Y’all got anymore of them Stanley Cups?


sky_is_the_next_pewd

I heard they were giving some more next summer!


charmingchonk

When the game clock hit zero, I screamed 'YES!' but then sat silently and just stared at the screen in shock to the point my husband was worried about me... I've only been watching the cats since about 2011 and this feels incredible. I'm so so happy for the fans that have been around forever!


DarbH

I was on an airplane flying home from Canada into Ft. Lauderdale. Have the plain was watching and cheers and applause broke out when that timer reached zero


SpaceCoastSplash

It’s only just now starting to set in. Before the series I expected to be crying like a simp at a wedding, but last night was just an overwhelming feeling of relief. We didn’t let Canada break the streak against us, we weren’t Drake’s first ever win at the sportsbook, we don’t have to worry about being relocated. Last night was just a big sigh of relief.


TheShadowOverBayside

The Drake curse is real, son! Unfortunately it fucked my NBA West team this year, the Mavs, but one out of two ain't bad


MrOverkill5150

Yeah man I felt the same way with a win my worries of this franchise leaving is gone now


Hungry_Definition450

Avalanche fan here. Overjoyed for you all. A very deserving organization with great players and personell. Hoping for a rematch of 96’ at some point in the next few years ;) Enjoy it all.


nando1969

I knew we could do it because the real struggle was in Edmonton. To see it all materialized is surreal. Feel so happy for everyone involved, especially Barkov who has such a big heart. Cant wait to see him surprise the kids as a Stanley Cup Champion like he usually does time and time again, a class act with a heart of gold.


rgarc065

I yelled so loud, I probably woke up my daughter. I thought the potential of a historic collapse will detract from it, and the sense of relief would’ve been greater than the sense of joy of being champions, but it actually added to the absolute elation! I will say, while I am from Miami, I am a bandwagon fan. I’ve been to the odd Panthers game over the years but I don’t think I watched any hockey games on TV until the past 3 years. I envy the feeling for those true fans who’ve truly followed them since the beginning. To stick with the team even as they missed the playoffs year after year is what makes these moment so wonderful and worthwhile!!


Good_wolf

Pretty sure I did wake mine up. Worth it.


rgarc065

I was sitting in in her playpen watching the entire final period after we put her to bed during the second intermission lol and jumped up and yelled. My wife came down and I immediately hugged her and kissed her, and she said I was all sweaty and shaking


Good_wolf

Mines a teen so it wasn’t quite as high stakes. lol


lanakers

It feels surreal but also amazing!!


JustDoaRestart

I still can't believe it. I cried watching those last 10 seconds and everything afterwards because I really didn't think I'd ever see the day with the history we had seen with this team over the last twenty years. Not the last five, because the last five have been incredible and have proven that they have the right management everywhere, but those were some hard 20+ years before that.


mcmachete

To be honest, the sense of relief in not blowing it overwhelmed the sense of joy of wanting this since 95 - at least initially!


Shoctapus

I've had to contact my physician about this 14 hour erection. He said it's a Panthers Priapism.


Tall-Shoulder-7384

Not many get a chance to see their team, especially your home team, to win their first title in their lifetime so this makes it special. I’m a soccer guy who got into sport and team around 2014/15 so this is just surreal


Fortenole

I'm moving out of Sunrise this year, but I have been waiting for a stanley cup title for this team my whole life. It's still sinking in for me that the team from the city I lived my whole life in (Sunrise, FL), a team from my hometown, just won the greatest prize in sports. I just can't believe it, after all these years of being a laughing stock we have finally done it. I wasn't born when this team made it in 96 either so this was extra special for me.


jkmitsu

I was at the game last night and I can barely speak if that tells you anything lol. Absolutely insane. We won the fuckin cup, wow. Holy shit. Hardly even feels real


_ladylucks

I was crying. It was very emotional for so many people. So surreal and just amazing.


Techiesarethebomb

Literally started crying. Been a fan since the inception and never thought they would get here. It is just surreal


porcospino20

I don’t care if they ever win another game. They scaled the mountain.


29_lets_go

I have never been a fan of any team that’s won before. The Florida Panthers have been a team of mine since I was a kid, established 1993 and I was born 1992. Went to games my whole life growing up in SFL and now that I live in Buffalo, I see them here when they visit (severely outnumbered). Even the Sabres have never won before as a hometown team to go see and follow. Bills never won either. My jersey is years and years old, and I have a soft spot in my heart for having a small fan base and being underdogs. Throughout my life I’ve followed a few teams and became fans of them, the Panthers being one of them, and they’re the only ones that have ever won a championship in my lifetime. It hits me in waves and sort of feels like I got a big promotion or bought a house or something celebratory like that. The feeling of a vacation right around the corner, maybe? A thrill. Being a sport fan, especially with teams that have droughts, is tough. Just frustrated over the years and never expecting much. Definitely have tears (even today) and I am so proud of that team. I also bought a bunch of championship merch because I don’t know how much this will happen in my lifetime lol.


cl0udmaster

It was the second best moment of my life. I'm still having trouble believing it actually happened.


NotBandyBurrito

Vindication. Have been watching since 2015. Wouldn’t say that I went through the worst times, but there were certainly some bad times. And last night just justified it all. They will win more but there will literally never be a first and it feels so good to have experienced it.


CptMelvinSeashores

Is this real life or was it a dream?


okokokoyeahright

What does it feel like? Well, imagine your best day ever. Now double it. then triple it. Oh , and speaking as a Bandwagon fan here on this sub, I can assure you that the feeling never gets old. 12 Cups as a Habs fan, I am fucking old.


SurvivingAsAYote

Pure euphoria of victory. And a lot of relief lol


harleyquinad

I was so nervous watching the game, and once it hot zero, it was just a "holy shit, we won" moment. Did not sleep at all.


MrOverkill5150

Relieved honestly things could have been so bad if we didn’t win


Benjamin_Huxley

Like everything I’ve ever wanted…back of my head somewhere it might be bitter sweet bc the chase is over….but I’m not gonna think about that for a very veryyyy long time.


Substantial-Big-5244

I’m a Canes fan and I have to say this: Congratulations. You guys earned this. Last year’s ECF might still sting for me, but you guys proved all the doubters wrong and finally got it done. That I have to applaud.


CosmoJones07

It's a hard feeling to replicate, because of the roller coaster that preceded it. Losing 3 straight after going up 3-0, after that game 6 loss, that was the lowest I've ever been watching sports. I genuinely think that if we lost last night, it wouldn't have been as bad as that, because I mentally and emotionally already prepared for that after the game 6 loss. And then, to turn it around and win game 7, in a nailbiter, to erase all of that? It just made the high that much higher.


sky_is_the_next_pewd

The highs and the lows, I felt them all throughout the whole season, seeing the clock start running down made me cry tears of joy being able to finally celebrate with my fam was amazing I'll never forget it, THE PANTHERS ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPION 🏆🏆🏆


EinsteinDisguised

I’m not a big Panthers fan and won’t pretend otherwise. Though I’ve lived in South Florida, I grew up in a New York sports family and grew up a Rangers fan, though hockey is not my favorite. But I really grew to like this team the last two years. Maurice, Tkachuk, Barkov, Montour, Lomberg, Reinhart. They’re all just really likable people, and I’m not such a Rangers diehard that I can’t find room in my heart for two teams. I’m so happy for the team and their longtime fans. I’ve been buzzing all day and I can’t imagine what diehards are feeling.


exigy1

It was 6am Latvia time when the Oilers dumped the puck in our zone for the last time. My one year old son always wakes up at 6:10am like a Swiss watch. I started jumping and whisper-shouting and crying when the clock was nearing 0.00. I honestly don’t remember what it felt like and for how long I was doing that. Then my son woke up , I’ve held him in my arms and we watched the trophy presentation together


StudyEastern

A dream realized. To those who stayed up to watch game 4 in '96 this was for us 🥹🥹🥹


haf2go

I was in shock. Still letting it soak in. Fan here from day one. Lived in SFL in the 80’s and 90’s and was so stoked when the team was announced. Had to watch the games on mute due to the gross bias towards Edmonton. They all can suck it now!’


SIERRAMYDELTA_

I been waiting for this moment since 96’ I was there when Colorado took us out, hated when they took the cats out of Miami since I was there so often with my dad. Fastforward to now and I’m living it out with my son it’s just a wonderful moment.


Cash_man

It feels like whole new era when it comes to the franchise. It’s still settling with me but my god I blacked out of pure adrenalin and excitement last night


brilu34

I'm happy they won, it felt good, but life is the same as it was before they won.


NotTheDefault

My voice was hoarse, I kept getting lightheaded. I had made it my personal mission to drown out all the Oilers fans sitting around us throughout the whole game. I had never before been so out of my mind at a game. As the clock ticked down and it set in that it was really happening, almost indescribable catharsis washed over me. My son, my wife, and I gave each other a huge hug. Core memories were formed. It was bliss.


FartBustFart

I’m sure all 17 of them are super excited


Single_Mother

I rather root for the underdog franchise with 16 other real fans, than some of the big shitty teams like Boston or Detroit.


FartBustFart

Yeah the most Cups of any American franchise is pretty shitty isn’t it toots lmao


Single_Mother

Look at this boomer trying to sound all cool talking like a old time gangster. Lick my clit grandpa!