The NHL has yet to release a schedule for the Eastern Conference Final between Florida and Carolina
In a few days the Florida Panthers will resume their quest toward the franchise’s first Stanley Cup when they play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Florida will face the Carolina Hurricanes, who won the Metropolitan Division with 113 points and held the second-best record in the NHL, behind only the Boston Bruins.
The series will begin with Games 1 and 2 in Raleigh.
This is nothing new for the Panthers, who have opened each playoff round on the road due to being the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference.
When the series eventually shifts back to South Florida, FLA Live Arena will continue to be packed to the gills as Panthers fans soak up the team’s deepest playoff run since the 1996 squad that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Sunrise arena can hold 19,250 fans for hockey, but with so much interest and passion among fans following Florida’s amazing playoff journey, wouldn't it be cool if there was a way to allow more people to enjoy the atmosphere around the rink?
But let us also not forget about the road games.
Some of the best social media posts during the playoffs have been of Cats fans celebrating the team's massive series-clinching road overtime wins, whether at home, with friends or official watch parties.
Throughout the season and during the playoffs, the Panthers have hosted watch parties at different venues in Broward County, but not at their own house.
At least, not yet.
It's starting to sound like there could be watch parties held at FLA Live Arena for the conference final.
This was first reported by George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.
If held outside, which it would need to be for Florida's home games, the setup could be similar to what Panthers fans saw in Toronto at Maple Leaf Square for their fans during the opening two rounds, with fans congregating outside the arena to watch the game on a massive screen.
Considering the options, it makes the most sense for the team to host fans on the JetBlue Tarmac outside the arena’s entrance, though that could be tricky on home game days due to the area also being used for lines and security checkpoints for ticket holders.
Once the game starts, though, everyone will be inside and it won't make a difference, and again, that would only be a potential issue during home games.
The areas to either side of the main entrance have large surfaces that the games could be projected on, and the sections of the tarmac further away from the entrance and closer to the parking lots could be utilized if there were large screens brought out to broadcast the game on.
A part of the parking lot could be used in a similar way as well.
In terms of potential conflicts for road watch parties, looking at the FLA Live Arena calendar of events, the only thing on the schedule this month other than Panthers games is a concert on Saturday, May 20.
Checking with the team on Sunday afternoon, there was no official information regarding a watch party for Game 1.
The NHL has yet to release the schedule for the Eastern Conference Final. That won't happen until after the Western Conference Final participants are settled.
That gives the Panthers plenty of time to figure out if they can make watch parties at the arena, whether it be inside or outside, a reality.
Seeing how thrilled and passionate the Panthers fanbase has been during the playoff run, it would likely be a wild and memorable scene.