The Florida Panthers find ways to stay positive and entertain fans through all storms and bumps on the road.
Cold front in the state? The team launches a new collection to keep fans warm. Getting ready for the 2026 Winter Classic? New jerseys and merchandise drop at in-arena stores in Sunrise and Fort Lauderdale and online. The club recently presented an upgraded “Panthers Kids Club” membership. The “rookie” level is free and open to anyone ages 6-14, and it includes various digital perks. The “All-Star” level costs $50, but offers some cool items, including: the team mascots plushies, toy puck, in-arena discounts, and most importantly, two tickets to a selected game.
For the second week in a row, hockey fans discuss a newly created podcast by the Tkachuk brothers, ‘WINGMEN’. Matthew and Brady share their opinion and stories on different hockey topics. The Panthers and Senators forwards were guests on the popular ‘New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce’ podcast. While the Kelce brothers have more on-air experience and off-the-studio stardom, they gave the hockey duo an idea to start a hockey podcast. And the Tkachuk’s listened. It’s a unique situation for the NHL. The question is how transparent the league will allow the brothers to go. It’s too early to tell. For now, the Panthers fans are catching positive vibes from Matthew Tkachuk, who is expected to start skating in about a week.
The team has had a few on-ice celebrations. Brad Marchand reached 1,000 NHL career points and Jeff Petry skated his 1,000th NHL game.
However, the Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice has to reshuffle his lineup, yet again. The winger Eetu Luostarinen will be out for some time after sustaining severe burns during a barbecue accident. Another forward, Cole Schwindt, broke his arm during the game against the Vancouver Canucks. So, the team’s injury reserve list is the only consistent element. The Panthers are still without Aleksander Barkov, Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, and Tomas Nosek.
On one hand, it looks like bad luck haunts the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions. On the other hand, the franchise works hard for the fans and makes sure they stay upbeat through difficult times.
Right now, the Panthers are out of the playoff zone, but stay close in the fight for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.