The Florida Panthers practice for the first time at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 22. The long-anticipated wait is over, at least for the players, coaching staff and hockey operations department. The Florida Panthers officially held their first practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Downtown Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Proximity wise, it is more suitable for the players as the commute to practice is less of a weight on their already busy travel schedule. There have been a fair share of teams that have called Fort Lauderdale home over the years. Some of them had spring training homes, like the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Professional soccer teams like the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and now Inter Miami CF have also set up shop in Fort Lauderdale. The Panthers in the year 2023 are the latest to be welcomed to the city. A state like Florida is known for a few things, such as golf and great weather year-round. What does golf have to do with a hockey team opening up a practice facility? Well, there were a few players on the team who drove to the new facility in golf carts. For the Panthers, outside the rink, they don’t have to deal with snow and are able to wear shorts almost year-round in a place like South Florida. With some players choosing that mode of transportation, they felt right at home. “It’s a good day to be a golf cart salesman,” Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said when observing how several his players decided to commute. Among the players spotted commuting in their golf carts were Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad and Matthew Tkachuk. “It’s going to be a place where I hopefully am for many, many, many years to come,” Tkachuk said on Friday when asked if it now feels more like home. “Some parts of summer being able to come here every day, do your work here, it’s going to be a place that I am going to utilize a lot. It makes it feel that everything is coming together.” Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] The Panthers geographically are one of the top teams in the NHL as far as miles travelled, year in and year out. For years, the players and parts of the coaching staff travelled at least 20 minutes each way, for practices and home games. That is a lot of time logged over the course of a 41-game home schedule. Now for practices, that is no longer the case. “I know that I won’t have to drive 30 minutes anymore,” Tkachuk said. “Now it’s right up the road, and I have been pushing for us to move here as fast as possible, because it’s easier for me. The proximity to my place is the best part.” The team still travels far distances for road games, but saving time in commuting to practice, there is a possibility that an easing of the mind can come from it due to saving the time driving. “Paul Maurice told me it was two minutes [from his home],” Zito said. “He got his coffee and didn’t finish it by the time he got here, and he walked [here] Proximity to all the things, whether it’s Las Olas, golf, the water. It certainly plays a significant role. We are home now, and our home is a pretty darn nice place to be in, and we like being here together.” There is also the camaraderie that comes with the new place: A new gym, and multiple television screens for the team to watch games. “I like how many TVs are here,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said when asked what his favorite part of the new practice rink was. “There are four in [the locker room], six in the meal room, and probably ten at the gym.” There will not be anything shortage of entertainment in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. There are also pickleball and tennis courts nearby. The different rooms are one central area, and Maurice emphasized that teammates are going to consistently run into each other more, which could help with the chemistry. Will the new practice home for the Panthers be available to the public? Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell said that when the team is not using the ice for practice or if they are on the road, that they will program it for community activities. However, the facility remains under construction and is not yet open to the public. When will fans be able to see state of the art complex in Holiday Park? “We are going to be opening up in phases” Caldwell revealed. “In early 2024, once we are ready to open to the public, we are going to do a ribbon cutting ceremony, and open practices. We want to get the community and fans living and breathing this place and feeling the excitement that we have.” There is no official date as of yet, but it is one step closer. In recent franchise history, with an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, hosting the NHL All Star Game, and now opening up a new practice facility, it truly does bring excitement to the South Florida community. It is a new chapter in Panthers history, and with a place that is modern that will welcome fans to watch the team practice, a pro shop for hockey gear and Panthers apparel, the new venue is truly one for the community. This would give the team a better chance to attract players outside of the organization to come play in South Florida. With the efforts of the Viola Family, Caldwell, and the recent success, and now having a presence in east Broward County, the Panthers are continuously living up to their mission of being a destination franchise in the National Hockey League. 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