Much of South Florida caught college football fever on Saturday, and you can count the Florida Panthers among those involved in the fun. The No. 4 Miami Hurricanes and their cross-state rival from Gainesville, the Florida Gators, locked horns at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday night. Ahead of the game, ESPN’s “College Gameday” was held on UM’s campus, and the famed pregame show invited Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk to be their weekly guest picker. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-football-prowess-tested-with-9-picks-on-college-gameday-in-miami] He was the first NHL player to be asked on as the guest picker. That’s not where the Panther-related fun ended, though. Several members of the team, Tkachuk included, made their way to Hard Rock Stadium for the game, and they were brought on the field and recognized by the Hurricanes. Among the Cats on the field were Tkachuk, Seth Jones, Mackie Samoskevich, equipment manager Scott Tinkler and the three Finns, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola, because of course. Samoskevich and his teammates were also spotted outside the stadium [https://x.com/MichaelRyanRuiz/status/1969523712207524030] before the game, tailgating and having fun with Canes fans. The Panthers kicked off training camp earlier this week and will play their first preseason games on Sunday, when they travel to Nashville for their annual doubleheader against the Predators. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA The Hockey Show: Gauging possibility of Kaprizov, McDavid, Crosby all playing for new teams [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-gauging-possibility-of-kaprizov-mcdavid-crosby-all-playing-for-new-teams] Matthew Tkachuk football prowess tested with 9 picks on 'College Gameday' in Miami [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-football-prowess-tested-with-9-picks-on-college-gameday-in-miami] The Hockey Show: Panthers above all in our preseason NHL rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-panthers-above-all-in-our-preseason-nhl-rankings] Final Year Of His Contract and 36 Years Old, Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky Isn’t Worried and Feels Great [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/final-year-of-his-contract-and-36-years-old-panthers-sergei-bobrovsky-isn-t-worried-and-feels-great] Matthew Tkachuk to appear as celebrity picker on ESPN's College Gameday in Miami [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-to-appear-as-celebrity-picker-on-espn-s-college-gameday-in-miami]
