Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Team building unity joining Irma relief effort in Boston
CORAL SPRINGS — Although Friday was the first day of training camp for the Florida Panthers, the process of building team unity began last weekend as evacuees from Hurricane Irma.
Many of them flew with their families on a plane chartered by team owners Vinnie Viola and Doug Cifu to Boston, where they not only got in some workouts but also participated in the unique joint effort to collect donations for the Red Cross to use for hurricane relief.
Rivalries were set aside and players from different sports stood side by side in the humanitarian effort outside Fenway Park before Sunday’s game between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
There was Panthers center Vincent Trocheck and Rays reliever Steve Cishek (former Miami Marlins closer) together with a Red Sox waste can as fans tossed money in for Irma victims.
“You always hear about how much of a sports town Boston is. They were pretty excited mostly to see the Boston guys, but nonetheless the money was going in the bucket and all to a good cause, so it was a pretty fun day,” Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie said Friday at the IceDen.
“Packed house, and for some of us our first time at Fenway. The whole experience was great. I think it brought the team together.”
Shawn Thornton, who played for the Bruins and Panthers and is now an executive on the team’s business side, was instrumental in organizing the effort that included participation from the two hockey teams and the Red Sox and Rays.
Other Panthers collecting money at Fenway were Aaron Ekblad, Alex Petrovic, Keith Yandle, James Reimer, Mark Pysyk and Colton Sceviour.
For Yandle, a Boston native who still lives in the area, it was a chance to show off his hometown to his teammates.
“Me being a Boston guy, you know what kind of people Boston people are. When something tragic happens, it doesn’t matter who you are, they come out in support,” Yandle said. “Hopefully, we raised a lot of money, and we can help out a lot of people.”
First-year coach Bob Boughner said the experience was beneficial, helping him learn about the team and helping the players pull together in a difficult situation.
“For me, seeing that chemistry and how close these guys are, I was real enthusiastic,” Boughner said.
Pirri starts fast
Two years removed from producing the second-most goals for the Panthers, Brandon Pirri has no guarantee of being on the team.
Pirri, who was traded away in February 2016 and is trying to earn a spot on a professional tryout, does have a very important ally in general manager Dale Tallon, who originally drafted him for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009.
“It’s huge having a guy like Dale in your corner,” Pirri said. “I know that Dale, through the years, has put his neck out for me, and I appreciate that. I’d like to return the favor.”
With Tallon spending part of the summer in Chicago, he received reports from his son-in-law who was training Pirri. He also saw him play in a charity game in August along with some Blackhawks.
For Tallon, it was a norisk decision to offer Pirri another chance. It made sense with the Panthers needing to replace four forwards who accounted for 35 percent of the team’s goals last season.
“I also like the fact that he can score goals. That’s something we need,” Tallon said. “We’re going to play an up-tempo, offensive-type game, and he can help our power play. He scored 22 goals for us a couple years ago. I think we can find a spot for him.”
It was only the first day, but Boughner took notice of the player who has been known to score goals in bunches, but also prone to injuries and defensive lapses.
“I liked Pirri today,” Boughner said. “You could see his hands out there. He came in real good shape and he looks stronger. There’s a few guys, and Pirri definitely was one of the standout guys for me.”