Panthers and Oilers fans provide exhilarating atmosphere at Amerant Bank Arena for Game 7

It’s Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Panthers and Oilers fans are eager to claim the shiny Stanley Cup.

It has been a long road for both teams, but the fans have kept the energy for the teams to be ready to leave as champions.

The Panthers fans realized their dream with a 2-1 victory for the first victory in franchise history. The Oilers, who forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, could not complete the comeback.

“What an amazing experience for South Florida, Sunrise, and the Florida Panthers, we’ve been waiting on this one,” said Atlanta native Adam Fullerton.

Fullerton, who used to work at Amerant Bank Arena, brought the entire family Monday.

Said Fullerton: “Congrats to Panther Nation.”

Panther Nation has been waiting decades for the moment, at least according to Daniel Nagler of Miami Beach

“It’s all come together at the perfect time. It’s absolutely incredible,” Nagler says.

Added John Demarco: “We’ve been Panthers fans for 15 years.”

The Demarco family put on its best Panthers paraphernalia to show team spirit.

Johnny Demarco, 7, has been a Panthers fan his whole life as the Florida Panthers inspired him to pursue hockey.

“I want to be like the big boys who play in the NHL,” Demarco says.

It was a family affair at the Amerant Bank Arena with multiple coolers, inflatables, and of course, fellowship. Pictures were being taken, laughs were shared, ultimately bonding everyone together for a great game of hockey.

“I am actually a new Panthers fan, but the energy inside the arena is just unmatched by any other sport. We want the cup and we’re going to bring home the cup,” said Lateefah Lintz, a San Jose, California, native.

Lintz didn’t hesitate to bring her best friends out for a girls night. She accompanied Ebony Coney from Cincinnat and Donna Henry from Kingston, Jamaica.

“We want the cup! We want the cup! We want the cup,” Coney and Henry exclaimed.

The fan love for Game 7 came from all around the world, with Oilers fans slipping in to support their favorite players.

Tom Mai and Tom Kwan from Edmonton gave a message to Oilers center Connor McDavid and right wing Connor Brown.

“McDavid’s great, and with Brown coming off injury, he’s been providing a lot of energy to the team,” Edmonton’s own Tom Kwan said. Edmonton’s Tom Mai followed by saying, “defense wins championships.”

While the Oilers didn’t have home-ice advantage and ultimately fell short, fans have been enjoying the sense of community the Stanley Cup Final has brought together.

Edmonton fans Tosia Serge and Sergei Kirby, came from Edmonton to support their Oilers and live in the moment.

Whether its date night or some father and son quality time, the Stanley Cup Final has been a highlight of all of the fans’ summer.

Panthers fan favorites such goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov are being counted on, and their patience was rewarded.

“We’ve been Panthers’ fans since 1996, but this is our first year getting season tickets,” said Kevin Crook and his son Jason Crook to Monday’s game.

It was a night to remember for fans on both sides.