It was a big day in South Florida as the Broward County Commission voted 5-3 in favor of a new deal with the Florida Panthers that will keep the team in South Florida for a minimum of 8 more years.
The 3 nays were largely just to give the appearance of a close vote. The first five commissioners voted yes after over 20 fans and business owners in the local area spoke in support of this franchise that means so much to so many people. Yes, that is a fact.
I don't want to bore you with all the ins and outs of the deal, but the message that was sent today was clear. Hockey has been, can be, and will be a viable business in South Florida. One need look no further than 2012 when the BB&T Center was sold out and rocking for the stretch run and the playoffs to know that Panther fans are in large numbers and ready to support a winner.
That 2011-12 Florida team was thrown together the summer before by GM Dale Tallon in an unprecedented free agency spending spree that sent shockwaves through South Florida and the NHL. While that team won the first division title in franchise history, it was only a patch. Time was needed for all of these young draft picks that were acquired from many terrible seasons to mature.
Well that time is now. While the two seasons in between that playoff run and this year were poor by anyone's standards, the young guns in this organization are starting to turn the corner and show this club should be making waves for years to come. One needs to look no further than this last road trip where the Panthers went 4-1 and defeated the Red Wings, Blues, Predators, and Blue Jackets. Florida tied a franchise record for most consecutive road wins.
For years people in Quebec and other select cities have been assuming they were in line for getting the Panthers in what they felt was inevitable relocation. They can start looking for plan B, if they have one, or wait for expansion.
Today common sense and logic won out. South Florida and Broward county would be worse off if the Panthers left, and the league would be less stable as well. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Broward Mayor Tim Ryan this morning to let him know the NHL was firmly behind the decision to keep the Panthers in South Florida, and reports are there will be an All Star Game coming to Sunrise in the near future.
For all the traditionalists and haters that don't think hockey belongs in Florida, with no thought to the families, jobs, and economies that would be affected by moving a franchise, shame on you. The NHL got better today, regardless of the Panthers' current financial situation.
No longer are free tickets given away, and ownership/management of Vinny Viola, Doug Cifu, and Peter Luukko are building this franchise from the ground up. Sure it will take some time, but as is the South Florida way, winning will put butts in the seats. With the pieces that are in place, with more coming over the next few years, winning will be the norm. No cries or pleas from north of the border can change the improving health of this organization.
Dan Spiegel... Florida Panthers Media Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Join the Florida Panthers Insiders FB Page Connect with me on Google Plus