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Florida Panthers
Overall: 24
Southeast Division: 3
At
the Panthers'
new
$184 million arena, something called the National Rental Car
Center, in Sunrise, fans can eat sushi, salmon and fruit salad
and choose from 18 desserts. There are seats with leather
armrests and watering holes with fake panther claw marks
gouged into the tabletops. The arena also boasts 274
toilets for women and
226
for men.
We're told 500 johns in one arena is a record for
professional hockey. Too bad that's the only
NHL record the Panthers will set this season. After a
miraculous run to the Finals in 1996, Florida missed the
playoffs last year and, in keeping with an ugly trend in
pro sports, put all its effort during the offseason into
building an arena instead of a team. Despite finishing with
the second-worst record in the league last season, the
Panthers made only two moves over the summer. General
manager Bryan Murray's first move was to sign his younger
brother,
Terry, to coach Florida. Terry has never missed the playoffs in
tk
seasons as an NHL coach, but if he does this year—and
that's likely—the sun could set on his brother in
Sunrise. Terry, who took the Flyers to the Cup finals in
1997, will instill discipline in a team of chronic
underachievers, such as defenseman Ed Jovanovski, center
Viktor Kozlov and injury-prone center Rob
Niedermayer.
Bryan wasn't guilty of nepotism in hiring Terry, but
Panthers fans have accused him of inept-otism. After
letting All-Star goalie John Vanbiesbrouck bolt to
Philadelphia, his only other
off-season move was signing Flyers castoff Sean Burke after five
goalies said no. "The Panthers underachieved last
year, and so did
I," says Burke.
"I come here with a lot to prove."
He'll get his chance. In front of Burke is a defense that
gave up 256 goals in
1997-98.
What the Panthers need are more Canadians who irritate
people while producing big hits. Perhaps Murray should have
had a contract ready when the opulent National Car Rental
Center celebrated its grand opening last week with a
concert by Celine
Dion.
—By Brian Cazeneuve
Fast Fact
Last season the Panthers had the NHL's second-biggest
decline in points (from 89 to 63) and the second-worst drop
in goal differential (-73) from
1996-97.
Keys To Success
- The Panthers must improve their putrid penalty killing, which was
effective only 79.9% of the time last season, worst in the league.
- The talented young core guys—forwards Viktor Kozlov and Radek
Dvorak and defenseman Ed Jovanovski—need to step up and
play to their potential.
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