Matthew Tkachuk Makes Kind Exception for Florida Fan at the Panthers Parade

“My escape from all the pain and suffering was watching sports,” said Cesar Lucero in 2024 about how he finds the strength to deal with his osteogenesis imperfecta, which makes his bones severely prone to breaking. And being a Florida native, there was no other team that he admired more than the Panthers. For obvious reasons, Lucero is feeling on top of the world right now. And his happiness just got a major bump, thanks to Matthew Tkachuk.

The Florida Panthers stars are having the time of their life right now. Becoming back-to-back champions, the Cats’ party train isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and Matthew Tkachuk can hardly contain his love for the fans for their support. “Everybody here, thank you guys so much for making this some of the most fun, and safe, these are memories I’m going to have for the rest of my life,” the forward said during the team’s victory parade at Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday. And he’s making sure to give back to the fans in every way possible.

In an X post by a South Florida resident from June 22, Matthew Tkachuk’s heartwarming gesture from today’s victory parade has been shared. During the Panthers’ celebrations on State Road A1A, Chucky spotted a special Florida fan and decided to make them a part of the festivities. “One of many awesome moments from today. @TKACHUKycheese_ noticed @BigCeaz and immediately came over to let him into the parade. Game knows game!” reads the caption of the post, while the accompanying video shows what exactly went down.

During the victory parade, Tkachuk noticed that motivational speaker and high school football coach Cesar Lucero was among the fans cheering for the fans. He stepped up and asked if Lucero would like to come through the fortifications and be a part of the team’s celebrations. The wheelchair-bound football coach was justifiably elated by the invitation and accepted the offer, while the fans nearby lauded the star’s kind gesture with vehement encouragement.

Lucero missed the 2023 playoffs due to being in a coma following a medically induced surgery after a routine surgery went awry. Naturally, for him, a Panthers fan since 1996, it couldn’t have been a better gift en route to full strength to see the Cats winning their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2024. “Seeing them win the Stanley Cup was something I’ve never dreamed about. Just so much emotion,” admitted the football coach after Matthew Tkachuk & Co.’s triumphant run last year.

And now, seeing his favorite hockey team lift “Lord Stanley” twice in a row, it’s understandable that Lucero is feeling all the jubilation in the world. And seeing him in the crowds, Tkachuk had to make sure that the long-time Panthers fan was paid his due for his ardent support over the years. And why not? After all, back in May, CBS hailed Lucero as the “secret weapon” that could win the Miami team its second Stanley Cup.

In the Panthers’ superfan, Paul Bissonnette also found his match. The Maple Leafs loyalist has done his best to diss the Cats’ chances of winning the Cup this year, and Lucero made sure to get back at the NHL analyst when the Florida team eliminated the Canadian team from the playoffs this year as well. Props to Matthew for nodding his hat on the team’s behalf to hail “Big Caez” for his loyal support. Hopefully, by doing so, Chucky would score some extra points in his coach’s books, too!

Matthew Tkachuk’s latest gesture could make Paul Maurice a bigger fan of him

Before coming to Florida in 2022, coach Paul Maurice was the top dog in several other teams, including the Winnipeg Jets. But during his time as the head coach of the Jets, Maurice wasn’t the biggest fan of Matthew Tkachuk. “I hated Matthew Tkachuk, that’s a little too strong, when I was in Winnipeg,” the seasoned coach revealed that his now-star player wasn’t someone he particularly admired. However, that perception didn’t take too long to change.

“And then you meet him, and you go, ‘My God, what a wonderful human being!’,” the coach also admitted that his POV was shattered as soon as he got to know the feisty hockey forward. Unsurprising. Close to almost giving up his coaching career before joining the Panthers‘ squad, Maurice also might have felt that Tkachuk could become the centerpiece of his plan to take the team to unforeseen heights.

The Panthers’ victory parade was marked by several potshots flying at the Edmonton Oilers, unsurprisingly, once again. The back-to-back champs even made sure to take a dig at the back-to-back losers by ordering sushi from the very same restaurant that the Oilers booked out before Game 5 to make sure they made it clear whose turf is South Florida. But Tkachuk’s heartwarming deed elevated the whole parade to something much more special than being simply a dissing-fest! Wouldn’t you agree?