'We're going to construct this the fitting method': How the Panthers rose to prominence on and off the ice

Ten years in the past, a photograph from a Florida Panthers recreation went viral — and still lives in infamy. It was Florida’s third recreation of the 2013-14 season, towards the Ottawa Senators, and it would not be an inconceivable train to attempt to depend each fan in sight.

“That image was proper at puck drop. It wound up being round 7,000 for the night time, however Canadian media have been throughout us — and rightfully so,” Panthers CEO Matt Caldwell mentioned. “For those who’re watching knowledgeable sports activities crew have crowds like that, it begs the query: Is that this even value it? Is that this survival? Ought to the crew be moved?”

Quick-forward a decade, and the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are the toast of the hockey world. The crew instructed ESPN it’s near promoting out season tickets after a virtually 25 p.c enhance in attendance over the previous two years (they averaged 18,632 per recreation final season), and a 123.8% bounce in company partnership income in the identical span. The South Florida market will be finicky and successful cures all, however the Panthers consider they’ve tapped right into a sustainable mannequin — with a legit probability to repeat this season. The Panthers have turn out to be a pressure.

“They’ve that demeanor the place they’re assured, in order that they play that method,” mentioned defenseman Brandon Carlo of the rival Boston Bruins. “And that is robust to beat.”

On the NHL draft, it is customary for groups to get on stage and congratulate the latest Stanley Cup winner. On the 2024 draft in Las Vegas, weeks after Florida hoisted its first Cup, not one crew shouted out the Panthers. Joked GM Invoice Zito: “No one likes us.”

A story of jealousy lingers across the Panthers. Between the climate and having no state revenue tax, it is a vacation spot franchise — particularly now that they’ve constructed a successful tradition. Gamers are keen to signal there for much less. Florida is never on a participant’s no-trade record.

However privately, it is equal components jealousy and admiration. In a copycat league, different groups are searching for methods to emulate the Cats. Stated an Jap Convention entrance workplace govt: “They’re constructed the identical method any individual who performed the sport would construct a crew. Everyone seems to be making an attempt to modernize and this and that. They’ve that ‘f— you’ in them. They give attention to f—ing hockey. And so they’re rattling good at it.”

So how did Florida do it? ESPN talked to quite a few entrance workplace executives and gamers about how the Panthers constructed a mannequin franchise on and off the ice, and what classes different groups can be taught.

They put respect into the model, and embraced who they have been

Most conversations across the Panthers start with the dedication from possession. Vincent Viola, an Military veteran and self-made billionaire via enterprise, purchased the crew in 2013.

“He mentioned, ‘We’re going to construct this the fitting method. I do not care if we take care of the noise of empty crowds or followers complaining; that is rising pains,'” Caldwell mentioned. “And we have now to be disciplined. I give him credit score, as a result of we took some steps backward.”

The Panthers have one of many greatest arenas within the league, which was onerous to fill. Its location, Dawn, is an hour North of Miami (on a superb visitors day) and it sits within the car parking zone of one of many nation’s greatest outlet malls.

A decade in the past, the crew’s funds have been a large number. “We have been all in New York on the time, earlier than we moved all the way down to Florida, and I stored doing journeys — a pair weeks at a time — and each time uncovered increasingly more upside-down offers,” Caldwell mentioned. “They have been giving out loads of free tickets, doing loads of gimmicky promotions — issues that may by no means assist the model long run. The money place the corporate was in was very unhealthy. They have been dropping a ton of cash.”

Caldwell and Viola have backgrounds in finance. They rearranged the gross sales workplaces to imitate a buying and selling ground and dug in with chilly calls to those that have been on the fence about shopping for tickets, explaining why issues have been altering however asking them to belief the method.

“We introduced an immense private contact,” Caldwell mentioned. “Followers realized it was the chief working officers and senior VPs calling and laying out our plan, not some school youngsters. And it labored.”

Just a few different methods have been additionally efficient. First, the Panthers reidentified as hyper-local. The NHL crew wasn’t going to persuade individuals to drive from Miami — additionally house to the Dolphins, Warmth and Marlins, to not point out seashores and nightlife. The Panthers have been the one sports activities crew in Broward County and leaned into advertising domestically.

In addition they acknowledged that Florida was a tourism market. They knew their greatest attracts have been when Authentic Six groups visited, and did not cover from that.

“We embraced opposing followers,” Caldwell mentioned. “We mentioned, ‘We perceive when the Rangers play or Boston performs, we might not change that loyalty.’ Nevertheless it’s simpler to transform a die-hard hockey fan residing within the space to return to the opposite 39 video games than a household that has by no means seen a recreation earlier than. So we got here up with tailor-made packages for them.”

All of the whereas, the crew invested in the neighborhood and centered on creating that subsequent era of followers by introducing them to hockey at a younger age. Since 2013, the market has seen a 73% enhance in youth hockey participant participation.

“We do not attempt to be one thing we’re not,” Caldwell mentioned. “We’re very trustworthy with ourselves, weak, and simply actual. We wish to double down on our strengths, after which enhance our weaknesses, however not spend an excessive amount of time on them.”

They took dangers, however weren’t afraid to make errors

On the ice, the Panthers have been caught in a rut: spending cash whereas not being ok to contend, but not unhealthy sufficient to rebuild. Zito was employed as common supervisor in 2020 after an in depth search. A lawyer turned agent turned govt, Zito orchestrated among the brashest strikes the NHL has seen lately. Most got here in the summertime of 2022, after the crew lastly broke via by lapping the league in targets scored, capturing the Presidents’ Trophy and successful the franchise’s first playoff collection in a decade. Whereas seemingly making progress, they shook the entire thing up.

The Panthers switched coaches, hiring Paul Maurice, who modified the crew’s enjoying model. Then they mortgaged the long run, buying and selling a homegrown star winger in Jonathan Huberdeau, an ascending defenseman in MacKenzie Weegar and a first-round decide for one participant: Matthew Tkachuk.

In actual fact, the Panthers traded away first-round draft picks from 2022 to 2025. Not all of these dangers labored out, however the entrance workplace stored making them anyway. With a dearth of homegrown prospects and practically $15 million dedicated to 2 goaltenders, the Panthers wanted to buy bargains.

They’ve hit on fairly a couple of, together with their greatest defenseman, Gustav Forsling, whom they picked up on the waiver wire.

The Panthers stick with a guiding philosophy: Each participant is scouted for his character. Gamers should be extremely aggressive, but additionally humble sufficient to purchase into Coach Maurice’s model, which is mentally and bodily taxing. Zito mentioned their vetting usually contains questions like: How compelled are they by successful? What sorts of sacrifices have they made at earlier stops?

These traits are extra vital than previous efficiency.

“We perceive that each participant has some flaws,” Zito mentioned. “And we will fear about what they’re doing fallacious, however we will additionally make the most of and rejoice what they do proper. As a result of nobody is ideal. For those who make a mistake, we’re not going to get mad at you. It is, ‘Dude, I acquired your again. It is high-quality.’ That helped them play. So all of it comes again to belief. That places individuals in one of the best place to be themselves.”

Zito, for his half, thinks it is what drives all of them.

“I feel we could be a lot higher, to be trustworthy,” Zito mentioned. “I do know I will be. However once I make errors, there is no doubt in my thoughts that the coaches, the employees and gamers would have my again. I feel everybody has that feeling.”

They discovered to place apart ego

Viola is beneficiant in spending cash outdoors of the wage cap, so long as there’s justification on the way it can assist. One place that reveals up is in hockey operations. They established a first-of-its-kind goaltending excellence division, however can rationalize paying 4 goalie coaches as a result of each goalie who has are available to play with Sergei Bobrovsky has pushed the starter whereas posting a profession yr himself.

Outdoors of three assistant common managers — whose backgrounds vary from analytics to scouting — the crew has three senior advisers to the final managers who have been former common managers themselves. A rival entrance workplace govt pointed to this group because the Panthers’ secret sauce.

“No one talks about these guys,” the manager mentioned. “However they’re so good. Each time we expect we’re in on a participant, we determine somebody, the Panthers are already on it.”

Zito explains the method of getting collectively as humbling and academic.

“It is these many years of hockey intelligence from utterly totally different people,” Zito defined. “I imply, Rick Dudley, Paul Fenton and Les Jackson couldn’t be extra dissimilar. Once we all get collectively, there’s arguments — heated arguments. However you by no means go away these conferences with a foul style or your emotions harm. As a result of you understand the man who challenged you in your scouting report is well-intended. There is not any agenda, no one cares in the event that they have been the primary to scout him or something like that.”

Selflessness is an enormous theme within the Panthers’ locker room, too. Zito believes humility stems from his captain, Aleksander Barkov.

“He is probably the most selfless man I do know in every day life,” Zito mentioned. “Being round him, you finally find yourself being a greater model of your self as a result of he is simply that method. And if the lead canine is that method, that is how you are going to be.”

It continues with Maurice, who will be as onerous as any coach within the league — however by no means forgets the human aspect.

Final season when the Panthers have been drawing extra after-the-whistle scrums than any crew within the league, they’d a status because the NHL’s bad boys. Like many groups, they’ve photographs of the officers and their names taped to the bench. For the Panthers, the letters “STFU” have been written underneath the officers’ headshots. That was a reminder from Maurice to Maurice to take care of self-discipline too. Whereas Maurice has turn out to be well-known for his quotable clips, he strays from being self-righteous.

The crew modified identities from having a high-flying offense to a crew constructed on relentless forechecking and physicality — of their Stanley Cup run, opposing coaches continually commented on how Florida wore groups down by the third interval. That takes whole buy-in.

“I’ve by no means been on a crew with completely no ego in it,” 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart mentioned.

Reinhart defined additional what that appears like behind closed doorways.

“You have a look at a man like Chucky [Tkachuk], who’s acquired all the boldness on the earth. He is arguably a top-three producer within the league at any given time,” Reinhart mentioned. “There was a stretch across the Jap Convention finals main into the [Stanley Cup] Remaining for about six video games the place he did not rating. And nobody would’ve ever observed. I feel we had gained all these six video games in a row. Not one man might’ve instructed you that he hadn’t scored in six video games. His persona did not change, his confidence did not change. Defending first, that was our mentality. Once I look again on our run, that is a second I am going to at all times consider.”

They prioritized consolation and relaxation

The Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Remaining a yr earlier than they gained, in 2023, and by the point they acquired there they have been hobbled and bruised by a litany of accidents. Florida gamers mentioned after that run they reestablished the significance of a robust begin to the season. They have been clawing for weeks simply to get into the playoffs, which added to the 2 months of psychological and bodily grind.

Maurice mentioned he thought he’d need to go heavier for longer throughout final coaching camp. However he did not have to, as a result of the gamers reported with a way more business-like strategy.

Getting that near the aim is the final word motivator, simply ask Connor McDavid.

“You have a look at what Florida did going to the finals — gaining that have after which coming again, and following it up, and successful,” McDavid mentioned. “It is an incredible expertise enjoying with the Cup within the constructing, however a unique animal. I feel our group will be taught from it.”

So what did Florida be taught?

“It gave us confidence in easy methods to deal with sure issues, from a relaxation standpoint or a restoration standpoint,” Reinhart mentioned.

Whereas a number of individuals hinted that the Panthers made tweaks to workload administration and restoration, Zito wasn’t keen to provide away any specifics. It needs to be famous that in 2022 the Panthers employed an Australian, Dr. Chris McLellan, as their VP of sports activities efficiency. McLellan, a former professor, got here from the Nationwide Rugby League. The Panthers love that he did not are available with any biases equivalent to that had been the way in which issues had at all times been accomplished in hockey.

Primarily based on health testing, Maurice mentioned the Panthers reported to coaching camp in even higher form this season.

Over the previous few years, the Panthers have understood the price of successful — and once more, it has helped that possession has footed additional payments. Florida opened a $65 million follow facility in December, which is the envy of many within the league. Most gamers get there by driving their golf carts; many keep late due to the cold-tub/hot-tub setup, out of doors eating areas and pickleball courts. Caldwell factors to COVID as an inflection level. With no video games, the Panthers, like many companies, have been hemorrhaging cash. Viola had already dedicated to paying his full employees all through the pandemic. The follow facility challenge was underway. “The funds went up 25, 30% throughout that point,” Caldwell mentioned. “And he did not blink in any respect.”

Additionally in that point, the Panthers upped facilities, like hiring a full-time chef. In line with Caldwell, the crew has additionally not too long ago upgraded the crew airplane, meals on the highway in addition to accommodations.

“All the pieces they’ve accomplished right here makes it a first-class group,” ahead Evan Rodrigues mentioned final spring, a yr after signing as a free agent. “Why would you not wish to play for a spot that treats its gamers this properly and is so severe about successful?”

The most important signal that issues have modified for Florida: Final month they extended their agreement with Broward County. With 4 years left on the world lease, the events prolonged 5 extra years. The amended deal additionally contains giving the county two five-year choices to increase the lease even additional, at their full discretion. It was unanimously permitted.

“They made a dedication to us and the world,” Caldwell mentioned. “And we wished to point out we have been all-in.”

The Panthers know the way fickle the market will be, which is why carrying momentum is so vital. They’re the toast of the NHL now, however are hungry to win once more — and be a mannequin for years to return.