SUNRISE — Professional hockey has found a home in South Florida.
After winning their first Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers find themselves in as good of a situation as they have ever been in franchise history. They sold out season-ticket memberships for the first time, entered into a long-term agreement to extend their lease at Amerant Bank Arena and are set to host an outdoor game next season.
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The Panthers have come a long way from attendance numbers below 10,000 and the constant relocation rumors that came with it — and it goes back to the buy-in from owner Vinnie Viola when he took over the team in 2014.
“I think it starts with two words — Vinnie Viola, and the whole family,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking in Sunrise before the May 9th Stanley Cup playoff game. “The commitment that they have made to South Florida, to hockey, to the team, to the fans, has been nothing short of sensational. You see it in terms of the team’s performance, you see it in terms of how this building is full now. It’s something we always believed was possible for South Florida.
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”As I said when I presented the Stanley Cup, this was (original owner) Wayne Huizenga’s dream and the Viola family has fulfilled it and continued to fulfill it. It’s great to see. Hockey is growing here at all levels, particularly among youth hockey players, so it’s been fun to see. I’m happy for the fans, I’m happy for the players and I’m happy for the Violas.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, appearing at a news conference in Los Angeles in February, had nothing but good things to say about the Florida Panthers on May 9 in Sunrise.
The Panthers have grown into one of the most competitive teams in the NHL. They have won at least one playoff series in each of the past four seasons, made it to the Stanley Cup Final in the past two and are currently making a run at competing for their second-straight Stanley Cup. They currently trail the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in their best-of-seven second-round series.
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Off the ice, the Panthers opened their new practice facility, the Baptist Health IcePlex at War Memorial Auditorium, in Fort Lauderdale. That has helped further expand the growth of youth hockey in South Florida.
Between the success of the Panthers and their cross-state counterpart, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 and continue to be one of the NHL’s biggest success stories, Bettman found the opportunity to do something bold — host outdoor hockey games in the Sunshine State.
Winnipeg and Calgary play an NHL game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan in 2019 where it usually is a lot colder than South Florida.
The Panthers will get top billing, hosting the New York Rangers in the NHL’s Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at loanDepot Park in Miami as the league’s first test run of outdoor hockey in Florida. The Lightning will then host the Boston Bruins in a Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1.
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“Two outdoor games in Florida,” Bettman said. ”It’s bold, it’s audacious, it’s an attempt to do something special for the fans in Florida who haven’t had a home outdoor game, and some people have suggested we’re crazy, but I don’t think we are. We believe, between hockey operations and our ice makers, we’re going to provide a great environment for a game.”
The league has a few things working to its advantage as it does its test run at the Marlins’ home ballpark — the stadium’s retractable roof will help keep the ice protected from the sun as the icemakers prepare the building for the game. Bettman said that the league plans on having the roof closed leading up to the game and will open it prior to the start of the game — at night.
South Floridians have bought into the excitement, quickly selling out tickets in the pre-sale period as anticipation builds for South Florida’s first outdoor NHL game.
“I think we’ve now done 43 outdoor games and they’ve all been sold out,” Bettman said. “The last outdoor game in Columbus, 94,000 people showed up. Who would’ve thought that 10-to-15 years ago. So, it’s great, and the outdoor games are special whenever and wherever we do them.
“But playing two in Florida, we think will be a lot of fun.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ‘It will be lot of fun:’ Panthers, Lightning hosting outdoor games in 2026