Matthew Tkachuk is under contract with the Florida Panthers for most of the next decade. So is fellow All-Star Alexander Barkov. And there are two compelling reasons for players to join the Panthers for years to come.
The last few days must have helped the recruitment pitch as well.
Many of the best hockey players spent three or four days in South Florida. Some were found in the sea. some golf. Some just enjoyed the sun.
Hosting the NHL’s midseason showcase and showing the All-Stars what hockey can be like in the Panthers market — in Florida, in the winter — could pay off in the long run.
“Barkey is here for the long run, signed for eight years, wants to be here, wants to be here like the rest of his time here. It shows the hockey side that it’s a great place to play hockey and it’s a great Winning is the 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 all that comes into play in Florida. Basically, everything people are watching now… like, wow.
Wow really. A lot has changed over the years about the Panthers, and All-Star weekend was both confirmation and confirmation. Long gone are the days of hearing constant rumors about the team moving out of South Florida. So, are the days of the franchise a doormat too.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, “This franchise wasn’t going anywhere.” “The closest it came was when they were in Miami and we were working to build a building because they couldn’t live in the old Miami Arena. Since they got the arena in Sunrise, there’s never been a problem. And clear Technically, having the Violas own this franchise is not only extraordinary, it’s game-changing — pun intended.
This September will mark the 10th anniversary of Vincent Viola purchasing the franchise. Lately, attendance has gotten better. Hope is being created. The team won the President’s Trophy the previous season and won a playoff series for the first time since 1996.
This season did not go according to plan, thanks in large part to injuries. And while the Panthers are far from doomed in the playoff race, they have some serious ground to build on to make the final 30 games.
“There is no quick fix,” said Matthew Caldwell, president of the Florida Panthers. “But now, we just feel like we’re structurally, financially, stable long term.”
They’re also investing: The Panthers are renovating the War Memorial in Fort Lauderdale, which will become the team’s new practice headquarters starting next season, and are planning to launch more community outreach programs.
The core of the team is set for years. The infrastructure is there. Ownership has shown that he will spend what is necessary. And the Panthers can only hope that some All-Stars take notice this weekend.
“South Florida is a hockey town,” Caldwell said. “It took us a long time. But we are here.