'From the seagrass to the sawgrass' Cats continue All-Star in Sunrise

SUNRISE, Fla. - The 2023 NHL All-Star Week festivities continued in South Florida on Tuesday night with the 'City of Sunrise & Florida Panthers Hockey Festival' at Flamingo Park.
"It's definitely a proud moment, certainly for me and for all of our employees and players," said Panthers Chief Operating Officer Bryce Hollweg. "You see all the stuff on ESPN and the media, and when you get to say that is where you live, it is pretty special."

Festivalgoers were greeted with live music, food trucks, street hockey clinics, photos with the Stanley Cup, interactive games, and appearances from Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas, former Panthers forward and current broadcaster Bill Lindsay, Sunrise Mayor Michael J. Ryan, and Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero.
"This is the Panthers' 25th year in Sunrise and they truly are a part of our Sunrise family," said Mayor Ryan. "We see it here tonight. Giving back to the community, bringing the players out, bringing the Stanley Cup, and really does embolden us to wrap our arms around the Panthers. From the seagrass to the sawgrass, the Panthers represent the best of what sports entertainment means."
Just minutes away from FLA Live Arena, fans of all ages and NHL teams flooded the park during the second event of All-Star Week.
"We are super thrilled and couldn't be happier to have the entire hockey world with their eyes on Broward County," Broward County Administrator Cepero said. "It's multigenerational, from the kids to the grandparents, they're coming to this event tonight excited and we're able to showcase one of the local parks."

While attendees roamed around Flamingo Park enjoying the assortment of food truck options, playing NHL 23, browsing the Panthers merchandise truck, or getting their face painted, Gudas, the Panthers' all-time leader in hits, was also being greeted by Panther and NHL fans alike during a special signing.
Overall, more than 2,000 patrons attended the festival.
"It's awesome. It grows the sport so much," said Gudas. "This festival is another thing you can do with it and now more people are recognizing hockey players around here so it's taking steps in a big way. I didn't expect this many to be honest, it's very positive to see this many people liking hockey in South Florida. I was really in a nice way surprised. I'm glad hockey has grown all over the community, it's fun and you can see that it's going in the right direction."
To see more photos from the event, click here.
All-Star Week will continue Wednesday with the Coral Springs Hockey Festival & Alumni Game.
For information on other upcoming events during All-Star Week, visitFloridaPanthers.com/AllStar.