Panthermania leaves some disappointed after missed chances to meet Stanley Cup champions

POMPANO BEACH — Michele Pappargeris was one of thousands of fans who lined up outside a Pompano Beach Raising Cane’s restaurant to meet Matthew Tkachuk on Thursday morning.

Because Pappargeris arrived at 6 a.m., she was one of the lucky few who got to meet the Panthers star and Stanley Cup champion.

“It was super awesome,” Pappargeris said. “It was awesome. I was very very nervous, it’s nerve-wracking, but super exciting.”

However, other fans who arrived later were left out in the cold — more specifically, the heat — as Tkachuk made his appearance in the restaurant, served a small number of fans their orders, spoke to a crowd behind the restaurant and departed.

Lisa Goertzen arrived at 8 a.m. and did not get to see Tkachuk despite waiting for three hours in the sun. She wore a blue Keith Tkachuk jersey, hoping to get it signed.

“Oh my God, it was so hot,” Goertzen said. “We found a tiny bit of shade next to the Raising Cane’s sign for about an hour and a half, and then it went away. We thought we were going to be let in to see him and did not get to see him. … I really thought I could get him to sign his dad’s jersey. I’m pretty disappointed.”

The large crowds bode well for the attendance for Sunday’s championship parade, which will go down A1A in Fort Lauderdale.

Although the promotional poster for the event did not specifically mention autographs or a meet-and-greet for everyone who attended, Tkachuk did post, “Swing by tomorrow at (Raising Cane’s) to celebrate with me!”

Stephanie Franklin, who also waited in line, said people passed out in the line while waiting and had to be attended to by first responders.

“It was absurd,” Franklin said.

Pompano Beach city spokesperson did not respond to comment on whether Pompano Beach Fire Rescue treated anyone for heat-related illness.

Brianna Hegarty left her home in Orlando at about 4:30 a.m. to drive down to Pompano Beach for Thursday’s appearance.

“I got a glimpse and that was it,” Hegarty said.

Later in the evening, fans congregated in the shadow of Amerant Bank Arena at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Sawgrass Mills mall so they could get an autograph from forward Sam Reinhart, who scored the game-winning goal in Game 7.

The autograph signing had a more orderly system, as wristbands were distributed earlier in the day to grant people access to the line. Still, people lined up outside the store and had to be turned away when the store reached capacity.

Kevyn Fender was one of the Panthers fans who got in to see Reinhart.

“It’s super exciting,” Fender said. “I was watching the game at the Ice Den the other night during the Stanley Cup Final, and I think it would just be awesome maybe to get a chance to see one of the players who made one of the (game)-winning shots.”