Panthers pay-through-nose Amerant Arena deal

Image: Amerant Bank Arena, Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0

The National Hockey League (NHL) team Florida Panthers have signed a deal that will keep the team at their residence – the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida (US) – for a long time with some of the funding coming directly from the taxpayers.

‘YARDBARKER’ stated that it has gone by a few different names over the years but the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, will remain the home of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for a long time after the two sides reached a brand new deal. Some of the costs of running the arena will be paid for through the public purse.

The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami Metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference and play their home games at the Amerant Bank Arena.

The 20,000-capacity Amerant Bank Arena is the largest indoor arena in Florida and is located next to the Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida, United States. It is the home venue of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

New York (US)-based the National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America consisting of 32 teams – 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America. The current champions are the Florida Panthers.

‘YARDBARKER’ further stated that the Florida Panthers’ lease with the Amerant Bank Arena has been extended until 2033. The Broward County, where the arena is located, has the ability to automatically extend the lease for two five years periods after the initial deal ends. The contract includes an upfront payment of more than $50 million by the Florida Panthers with the County covering $25 million annually through a tourism tax.

The Amerant Bank Arena holds a special place in the heart of the Florida Panthers’ fans now after the team defeated their peer team the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final there just a few months ago to win their first-ever NHL Championship. During the series, the Oilers expressed some concerns about the ice conditions at the arena but it was never a major storyline in the final.

The Florida Panthers recently spent over $65 million to repair and upgrade a practice facility in nearby Fort Lauderdale. The facility includes new retail and dining options as part of the plan. The Panthers exceeded one million fans in attendance at games for the first time in franchise history last season. That includes the playoff games.

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