A little known secret around the NHL is there are actually Florida Panther fans. A LOT OF THEM.
In this non-traditional market that many northerners refuse to accept as legitimate, the entire league will soon see what Panthers Nation is all about.
You see, like in most places, people support winners. People show up to be part of winning. People pay attention to that which makes them feel good about themselves and where they live.
There has been a slogan in this organization for a few year now, "We See Red."
But in reality it has been this tortured fan base that has been seeing red for all the wrong reasons for decades. No one could blame this group that wanted to desperately keep reliving the Year of the Rat, 1996, over and over again.
In only their 3rd year of existence, the Panthers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and took South Florida by storm. Yes most fans did not have a lifetime of hockey history under their belt. But in one fell swoop they received a crash course not only in the most exciting sport in the world, but how to love a team from top to bottom as representatives of their city and what they were about.
Since that glorious time, there has been no success to speak of outside of a handful of playoff appearances only to be eliminated in the first round.
Because of such a poor record, ownership changes/instability, and terrible draft picks, Florida has been a punchline since Y2K.
Yet the fan base has always been there. No one outside of South Florida would believe it. And since more traditional hockey markets/fans cannot understand what they cannot see, this Panther organization has been mentioned in relocation talks for years and years.
Supercharged ignorance is behind such a movement.
It is quite possible if 1996 never happened, the team might have been moved many years ago. But that season is and was so indelible in the minds and hearts of South Florida sports fans, it almost became the subliminal undercurrent for why they should keep trying. It was clearly proven hockey will thrive in South Florida if the team is worth supporting. It has been a difficult journey to consistently make this a reality.
While it is true this team has been bleeding money for several years, that is not validation of most people's claims that the South Florida region doesn't care.
Back in the mid-2000s the Blackhawks couldn't give tickets away to their games. The place was dead on game nights. Did that last? Earlier this year in Detroit I saw TONS of empty seats at The Joe for a very important game against the Panthers. Should the Red Wings move?
People are people, and when a team doesn't win the organization will suffer. Most fans are not willing to consistently spend money on a poor product.
This is not to say that Florida is out of the woods in terms of being perennially relevant. The South Florida sports market is one of the most fickle and lazy. The Dolphins, Hurricanes, and Marlins are perfect examples of what not winning looks like. The stands are usually half full at best, and if more the opposing team's fans are enjoying the weather and Miami lifestyle.
As shameful as it is that any group of fans could look to be so disinterested in a team they say they support, it makes what the Panthers are doing right now that much more impressive.
Florida far and away leads the league in increase in attendance from last year, hovering around 36%. The 12-game win streak from Dec. 15th into January had much to do with the increase, and the Panthers' consistent good play kept it going all year long.
Panther fans are certainly ready to explode, and in large numbers. It makes no difference what outsiders think. It only matters what is. When they open Game 1 against the Islanders Thursday night, the nation is going to see a raucous, SOLD OUT crowd looking to finally make their mark in this league that has been snickering at them.
When Florida won their first division title and made the playoffs back in 2012, the community once again rallied around this franchise only to see it lose to New Jersey in double overtime of Game 7 of the first round. Thoughts were the next year and beyond would continue to show improvement.
It did not work out that way.
After two dreadful years finishing at or near the bottom of the league, Dale Tallon's Cats finally started to show the progress he has been preaching patience to see. The pain of those terrible seasons netted the organization Sasha Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. These two superstars-in-the-making are cornerstones for current and future success.
Maybe even more importantly they are part of a core the fan base has fallen in love with. There simply isn't anything to dislike about the makeup of this team both on and off the ice, just as Tallon wanted.
It's been so long since Florida was relevant current Panther fans might be the children of those that were consumed by South Florida hockey fever in 1996. Others might be senior citizens that will never forget what that team and time meant to the region.
Whatever the reason, this team has this area believing not only can they do some damage, they are finally built for the long term.
The patch job done by Tallon in the summer of 2011 was masterful and yielded great results, but sustainability is built from within. He needed time to create a robust farm system and develop these high draft picks that are coming through in major ways now.
The Red Sea of pain has parted, and it has given way to hope, faith, and promise. While that may seem like hyperbole, it is vastly different than the sulking, cursing, and depression that has been part of Panthers DNA for far too long.
Being a fan of a team that is a laughing stock is tough. Doing it for decades is borderline insanity. Only in sports can the reward for being faithful feel so sweet when good fortune decides to stay a while.
That time is now for the Florida Panthers and their fans who have spent as much time defending themselves from so-called experts, while at the same time praying the franchise doesn't move.
Now with stable ownership, a deal with the county that will keep them in Sunrise for AT LEAST 8 more years, and a roster that seems destined to make the playoffs way more than not, the tide is turning.
The Florida Panthers still have a lot to prove. A first round exit would be highly disappointing after the most successful season in franchise history.
There is an amazing blend of youthful exuberance and grizzled veterans on this squad to stay even keel.
Four years ago Panther fans were hopeful the team could win a playoff series. They were happy to be there, but deep down they knew they'd be lucky to stick around.
Now success is practically expected. They are deeper, hungrier, and vastly more talented. Time will tell what this team is made of under pressure.
All the critics who are quick to harp on attendance issues and overall fan support will soon have nothing to stand on. Call it a bandwagon if you want, but that would also be shortsighted. The fans have always been here. They have been waiting for this franchise to get their act together. That time has come, and the fans are excited to show their appreciation.
They will do so in such numbers that opponents will be "seeing red" of their own. Won't that be a nice statement for those thinking hockey can't work in the melting pot that is South Florida.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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