The Florida Panthers had their second consecutive Stanley Cup parade on Sunday. After beating the Edmonton Oilers again, the players took Lord Stanley to every party and club they could find in South Florida. Finally, the Panthers brought the Cup to the parade, which was packed with fans lining the Fort Lauderdale streets. It is a common dig to say the southern NHL teams have no fans. The Panthers' social admin fought back at that claim on Sunday.

The Panthers had not won a Stanley Cup before last year and went nearly 30 years without winning a playoff series before 2021. Naturally, their attendance declined when they were one of the worst teams in the league. But in recent years, they have made smart trades and great signings to become competitive. With that, fans flocked to the arena and to the parade.

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That is not unique to the Panthers or southern NHL teams. When teams are bad and actively trying to be bad, fans are less likely to go to games. But when teams are good and playing in important games, they show up. According to Hockey Reference, the Panthers were comfortably in the top half of the league in terms of regular-season attendance.

The Panthers' organization has certainly made a lot of money by winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive years. They will take that money to the negotiating table, where they will try to retain Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand. Without their rabid fan base, Florida would not be able to sign any of the players that brought them two Cups. And they certainly would not be able to re-sign them.

While the Panthers and their fans party until the sun comes up in Fort Lauderdale, their front office looks to bring back the right pieces and make sure a third parade happens next June.