‘This is Fort Lauderdale’: Panthers move into their new practice facility at the FTL War Memorial

FORT LAUDERDALE — Paul Maurice opted for a short walk from his house to the rink on Friday morning. Meanwhile, some of his players picked up the keys to their golf carts rather than their cars for the work commute.

With Christmas just a few days away, the Panthers got a big gift as they finally took the ice at their new state-of-the-art practice facility — the Baptist Health IcePlex at FTL War Memorial. 

“I feel like Santa Claus has arrived early,” Panthers President Matthew Caldwell said. “A lot of blood sweat and tears went into making this first class… we couldn’t be more excited.”

On the grounds of the old FTL War Memorial, the Panthers rejuvenated the 73-year-old building — transforming it into a world class hockey and recreational complex, just minutes from the beach and world renowned Las Olas Boulevard.

“This is where it is. This is Fort Lauderdale. This is Broward,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said. “For me it was hard to appreciate it until I got here and now I should be the spokesman. I tell everyone, Broward, its unbelievable.”

With many of the players and staff calling Fort Lauderdale home, the location of the new facility is perfect for a great deal of the team. 

“For a big bulk of our guys that are in the area now, you get to the rink a little bit quicker,” Maurice said. “I walked, that’s a nice change for me.”

The former practice facility was located in Coral Springs, which is around 35 minutes from the War Memorial. The players located in Fort Lauderdale won’t miss that drive.

“I’m probably going to sound spoiled but I don’t have to drive 30 minutes anymore. Now it’s just up the road.” Matthew Tkachuk said joyfully.  “I’ve been pushing for us to move in here as fast as possible.”

It’s been a long time coming for this project. The Panthers broke ground on their new facility back in May of 2021. Over 2 1/2 years later, the team finally moved in. 

From the seats and the massive digital scoreboard, to the natural light coming in from behind the net, the rink had a luxury feel to it and the players loved it.

When everything is complete, the building will host two ice sheets — with 1,000 seats for fans, a restaurant, retail store, concert venue and more “surprises” that Zito couldn’t spill just yet. 

Players will have 24-hour access to the facility which boasts endless amenities — such as pickleball courts, lounging areas, a full gym, barbeques on an outdoor terrace and a fantastic locker room. 

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was one of the handful of players who mentioned their satisfaction with the number of TVs that were spread out across the facility. 

“It’s very convenient, everything is right here,” Barkov said regarding the setup. “The beach is here too if you want to swim before or after practice.” 

The past year has been an eventful one for the organization. In February, they hosted the NHL All Star game — with many of the events taking place down the street in Fort Lauderdale. When June rolled around, team played in their first Stanley Cup Final since 1996. Now, they end the year in their new training facility — which ended up costing way more than the original $65 million plan. 

For now, the practices are closed as the rest of the building is being completed. The full opening should come around early 2024.

“We’ll do a big ribbon cutting for that and then open it up to the public. Probably do open practices,” Caldwell said. “We want to get the community, the fans, living and breathing this place.”