Panthers set charter to evacuate players, staff

The Florida Panthers will be among those evacuating Broward County ahead of Hurricane Irma while the organization provides support to the responders who will help the community deal with the storm.

The Panthers have a charter set to fly 90 players, coaches, family members and other staff from Fort Lauderdale to Boston on Friday morning.

The contingent includes 10 rookies who were to participate in a prospects camp and tournament through this weekend and some of the top Panthers including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Roberto Luongo, Panthers president and CEO Matthew Caldwell said.

There will also be 20 pets on board.

“I didn’t realize our players had so many animals. We’re jamming this thing packed,” Caldwell said of the airplane chartered from Swift Air, a company in which Panthers owner Vinnie Viola is a minority owner.

Not only was the prospects camp, which was to include top young talent from three other NHL teams, canceled, the storm casts uncertainty on the Panthers’ regular training camp, due to start Sept. 14.

Caldwell said the hope is that team will be able to charter back to Fort Lauderdale early next week. Meanwhile, the players will be able to train at the Panthers’ minor league facility in Springfield, Mass.

They could begin regular camp there if Hurricane Irma’s impact on South Florida necessitates, he said.

“First and foremost, we want to make sure they’re safe, and give them an outlet to go work out,” Caldwell said. “We could be losing a lot of time here. If they get stranded with no power it could really affect our season. These guys have been training all summer. To go five days without proper nutrition and training would really be tough.”

Meanwhile, the Panthers home at the BB&T Center will serve as an emergency vehicle staging site for various public service entities, as well as a tactical operation site for Florida Power and Light. Following the storm, the facility has been identified as a Broward County Logistical Staging Area.

“We are here and ready to support our Florida family, Broward County and the City of Sunrise as the community prepares for Irma’s possible landfall,” Viola said in a statement.

Caldwell and a small management crew will stay in the building through the weekend to provide support for the agencies dealing with the aftermath of the storm.

“Whatever they need, we’re here to support,” he said.

Panthers offices and BB&T Center box office will close Thursday afternoon until further notice. Call the hotline for updates on BB&T Center events at 954-835-8911.

The Panthers are scheduled to open their regular training Sept. 13 at the IceDen in Coral Springs, but that is uncertain with the organization putting focus on needs of the community while Hurricane Irma remains a threat to South Florida.

“We encourage our fans, staff and members of our community to prepare wisely and stay safe throughout the duration of this storm,” Caldwell said in an earlier statement. “Our strength as a community will guide us the through the difficult times ahead.”

The Panthers, like other South Florida teams, provided aid to relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, pledging $50,000, which was matched by Walmart.

The prospects tournament was to provide an opportunity for Owen Tippett, the Panthers’ top draft pick in the June draft, to begin a quest to make the team as an 18 year old. Several other highly regarded young players who will be vying for roster spots were also slated to participate.