Sunrise, Florida has been a hockey wasteland since the big and beautiful 19,000 seat BB&T Center opened its doors to the Florida Panthers in 1998. The Panthers have made the playoffs just two times since moving to Sunrise and the arena has been a lot more empty than not. The Miami area is a winner’s market. Win and the town is yours. Lose and you will not exist in the local minds of the fans and media.
When the Panthers made the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, they took the town by storm and played to sellout crowds. After having made the playoffs just once since 2001, the long dark era of losing appears to be over.
Playoff Position
Florida has won six out of nine games, including a 4-1 mark on the road in that span to get within one point of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference behind the struggling Boston Bruins. The Panthers are winning with a new attitude in which they play a full 200-foot game with responsibility in their own end and strong goaltending from Roberto Luongo. They boast a nice mix of promising young talent to go with seasoned veterans such as Dave Bolland and captain Willie Mitchell, who have won Stanley Cups and know what it takes to win. Add in a strong and committed ownership group, and you have the makings of something special.
Bobby Lou
The first indication that the Panthers ownership was serious about remaking the Panthers and their image was the acquisition of Roberto Luongo. The goaltender is now in his second tour of duty in South Florida after a star crossed stop at Vancouver in which he made the Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks but suffered a seven game loss to Boston. There was the 2010 Gold Medal for Team Canada in the Olympics but there was also the benching for the Heritage Classic last February which was the last straw. Luongo had a strong .927 save percentage with a 2.23 goals against average to give the Panthers reliability in net this season. Best yet he gives the team much needed credibility as a contender.
Budding Superstar
Defender Aaron Ekblad was the top pick of the NHL Draft last spring and was considered to be a “safe” selection in a class that was not nearly as coveted as the upcoming 2015 edition led by Conner McDavid. But Ekblad has quickly emerged as a top star that was second on the team in scoring with five goals and 19 assists for 24 points and a team-high +12 differential. A rookie defenseman can often get eaten alive in the NHL as it is the toughest position to learn but Ekblad has proven to be up to the challenge so far with the poise of a seasoned veteran.
The Fountain of Youth
Center Jonathan Huberdeau, 21, is another budding star. The third overall pick by Florida in 2011 had seven goals and 15 assists with a +3 goal differential. He scored nine points in the first seven games after the Christmas break.
Another first round pick, 22 year old Nick Bjugstad, is an additional promising talent. The center had 15 goals and 10 assists, also sporting a +3 differential, as the Panthers leading scorer.
Right wing Jimmy Hayes was the second leading goal scorer on the team with 13. The 25 year old cut his teeth with the Chicago Blackhawks organization, which gave him valuable exposure to a winning culture.
Leadership
First-year head coach Gerard Gallant has completely flipped the expectations of the team. Gallant demands an honest and hard effort every shift of every game and has removed the culture of excuses that was a major part of the Panthers lack of development.
Another key element of the Panthers promise is second-year chairman Vinny Viola, who is proving that he has a serious commitment to winning and turning the franchise around.
General Manager Dale Tallon built much of the current Chicago powerhouse and is again putting the right pieces together with Florida. The current mix of veteran and youth has been masterfully assembled.
There is nothing but upside for the Panthers and a playoff spot seems more possible by the day. Florida may yet prove to be a hot hockey market.
