The Florida Panthers have been some of Florida’s best neighbors since 1993. The organization’s history of community outreach and service dates back to before the team even took the ice for the first time. In the 2013-2014 season, owners Vincent Viola and Doug Cifu formally organized the team’s longstanding charitable efforts with the re-launch of the Florida Panthers Foundation. […]

Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola has said that no other sport requires its players to be more soldier-like than hockey. “You must play when you’re tired and spent and there’s nothing more to go on but your will to win.” As a West Point graduate and veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, Viola […]

Even Stanley C. Panther came along for the special 2016 trip to West Point. After all, the team’s military-inspired winning culture that owner Vincent Viola has worked to establish includes everyone from top to bottom of the organization, including the mascot.

In 2016, the Panthers refreshed their logo for the first time in franchise history. Owner Vincent Viola remarked, “the logo harkens to the vanguard of courage; the idea that you put a shield on the hockey uniform. It’s something to protect.” His son, John Viola, added “it’s not necessarily a new direction, but a new […]

West Point alum Vincent Viola purchased the Panthers in 2013 and quickly stacked the Panthers front office with fellow alumni, including the team’s president & CEO Matt Caldwell. Caldwell explained that values instilled in Army service translated into a winning culture from the front office to the ice. “Military guys put their head down and […]

H. Wayne Huizenga wore his affection for the Panthers on his sleeves…inside and out. This reversible, bold jacket was a mainstay of his wardrobe while attending games and other Panthers events. He donned it for iconic Panthers moments such as the uniform unveiling on June 14, 1993, a joint puck drop with new owner Vincent […]

In April 2019, the Panthers announced plans for a $65 million revitalization of the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park. The historic venue first opened in 1950 as a tribute to military heroes and as an entertainment hub, hosting iconic performers like Buddy Holly and dignitaries like U.S. Presidents. The revitalization, scheduled to […]

One lucky soul gained access to a historic NHL exhibition game with these media credentials during the 2016 preseason. On Oct. 8, 2016, the Panthers met the New Jersey Devils at Tate Rink in West Point, NY, in what may have been the first NHL game ever held on a U.S. military property. (The Panthers […]

The 2016 trip to West Point was a second visit for most of the players. Shortly after purchasing the team, Panthers owner and West Point alum Vincent Viola arranged for a memorable team-building event at The Academy in 2014. Former player and current Senior Vice President Shawn Thornton recalled his amazement when team president & […]

Panthers owner Vincent Viola, a veteran of the 101st Airborne Division, has made support of the military a key feature of the Panthers Foundation. Beginning in 2013, the team has hosted a Military Appreciation Night every year. Players sport these camo jerseys during warmups, and they are later auctioned off for charity. The team presented […]