POMPANO BEACH — Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk made a cameo at a local Raising Cane's restaurant on Thursday at 10 a.m. — and there were a lot more than just six fans waiting for him. The number of attendees was more like in the thousands.

That “six fans” remark has been a rallying cry for the organization for the past two years, spawning from Toronto Maple Leafs fans using it as a chirp towards the Panthers when they played each other in the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs. Two Stanley Cup Final appearances and a championship later, that point is all but moot for the Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

The line outside Cane’s was about halfway to Palm Beach County - and there wasn't a Maple Leafs jersey in sight.

“It’s special for me,” Tkachuk said. “I take great pride in it. I try to be a really good ambassador for hockey down here and to see the fan support for both myself and the team, not just since winning, but for my whole two years here, it’s been incredible. I couldn’t believe the line out there when I pulled in. It’s a Thursday? I can’t even keep track of the days, but it’s definitely not a weekend yet. But everyday is a weekend I guess when you win the Cup.”

Tkachuk went behind the counter and served fans food for roughly an hour on three hours of sleep. That is his combined total for the past three days.

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He has been the life of the party as the Panthers celebrate the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Tkachuk led the team out to South Florida staple (and his personal favorite joint) Fort Lauderdale Beach’s Elbo Room at 8 a.m. on Tuesday after a night of celebration. He had Stanley's cup take a dip in the ocean — which is against the rules.

“I think somebody said that’s not technically allowed,” Tkachuk said. “But, I said it was too late.”

The Cup and the team has made its rounds in South Florida over the past few days. Former Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo ate pizza and pasta out of it in Fort Lauderdale. The players went partying all across the tri-county area, ending Wednesday night at the E11even night club in Miami to celebrate with fans.

But perhaps the best memory of all for Tkachuk was spending some time with the Cup with a group of his teammates back at his house just before they went to the Elbo Room.

“That was the most amazing, special part was kind of myself and my teammates at my house,” Tkachuk said. “Pretty much everybody was there, just looking at the names on the Cup, talking about memories of the run, whether it was playoffs or regular season. I don’t know, it was a special moment for me.”

The party in South Florida is not dying down any time soon. As the Panthers prepare for their parade down A1A in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, fans are still flocking to hot spots all over the area to celebrate the occasion. And something tells us that Tkachuk won’t be getting much more sleep before then.

But he deserves to be the life of the party.

Florida made the bold move of trading multiple franchise faces in Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar for Tkachuk in July 2022. Since then, Tkachuk has led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final twice, leading them in points in both the regular season and playoffs his first year while finishing a point behind Aleksander Barkov for second during this year’s postseason run.

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In total, Tkachuk has 66 goals and 197 points in 159 regular-season games with 17 goals and 46 points in 44 playoff games as a Panther. Both totals rank in the Top 10 in the league in their respective category.

Thus, Tkachuk’s legacy in South Florida is cemented. The fans waiting outside of the fast-food chicken restaurant for the chance to see him proved just that. And it will continue to be proved throughout the week.

“At the end of the day, I really wanted to be a champion first and foremost and I really want to grow the game down here in South Florida,” Tkachuk said. “It’s the best place to live. They’ve done so much for me in my two years here. I want to leave hockey in a better place than when I came.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Matthew Tkachuk celebrates Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup championship