SUNRISE, Fla. – Matthew Tkachuk is under contract with the Florida Panthers for much of the next decade. So is fellow All-Star Aleksander Barkov. And those are two compelling reasons for players to join the Panthers for years to come.
The last few days should also have helped with the recruiting pitch.
Many of the best ice hockey players spent three or four days in South Florida. Some got into the sea. Some played golf. Some just enjoyed the sun.
It could pay off in the long run to host the NHL’s midseason showcase and show the All-Stars what hockey can be like in the Panthers’ market — in the Florida winter.
“Barky’s been here a long time, signed for eight years, wants to be here, wants to be here like he did for the rest of his time here. It shows the hockey team that it’s a great place to play hockey and that there’s a great winning culture.” said Tkachuk, the MVP of the All-Star Game. “It starts with your best player, your captain. But then there’s the off-ice part and everything that comes into play in Florida. Basically all the guys are seeing now is… like, wow.”
Wow indeed. So much has changed for the Panthers over the past few years, and the All-Star weekend was both confirmation and affirmation. Long gone are the days when the team constantly heard rumors about moving from South Florida. So too are the days of the franchise a doormat.
“This franchise has never moved anywhere,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “The closest it came was when they were in Miami and we were working on getting a building because they couldn’t stay in the old Miami Arena. Ever since they got the arena in Sunrise there has never been a problem. And honestly, not only is it phenomenal that the Violas have ownership of this franchise, it’s groundbreaking – pun intended.”
This September marks the 10th anniversary of Vincent Viola’s purchase of the franchise. Visitor numbers have gotten better lately. Hope has built up. The team won the President’s Trophy last season and a playoff series for the first time since 1996.
This season hasn’t gone according to plan, due in large part to injuries. And while the Panthers are far from doomed in the playoff race, they have some catching up to do in the last 30 games.
“There are no quick fixes,” said Florida Panthers president Matthew Caldwell. “But now we just feel like we’re structurally, financially and long-term stable.”
They’re investing too: The Panthers are renovating the War Memorial in Fort Lauderdale, which will become the team’s new practice headquarters starting next season, and plan to launch more community outreach programs.
The core of the team has been defined for years. The infrastructure is there. Property has shown that it will spend what is required. And the Panthers can only hope some All-Stars took notice this weekend.
“South Florida is a hockey town,” Caldwell said. “It took us a long time. But here we are.”
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