Panthers players loving newly-renovated War Memorial Auditorium

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Matthew Tkachuk and a few of his Florida Panthers teammates drove to practice Friday morning in style, making the short ride from their homes near the beach in souped-up golf carts.

The Panthers held their first workout at their long-awaited training facility outside downtown Fort Lauderdale as the team opened the doors to the Baptist Health Iceplex.

“I took the golf cart and was one of a handful of guys who did that,” Tkachuk said. “We have a very unique players’ parking lot out there. There are a couple of cars, some e-bikes, some golf carts. We have a little bit of everything.”

When complete, the complex will feature two ice sheets, a full-service bar and restaurant, a pro and team shop, and the wholly renovated War Memorial Auditorium.

The building, built in 1950, will be repurposed into an upscale live music venue. The two buildings housing the ice sheets were built around the auditorium and are connected by the restaurant and a common gathering area.

Although the facility will open in phases, the Panthers' building was the priority and completed first to allow the team to move in and begin holding workouts.

Team president Matthew Caldwell and general manager Bill Zito each noted that the building opened in time for Christmas.

The Panthers broke ground on the complex back on May 21, 2021.

“I feel like Santa Claus arrived early,” Caldwell said. "We have been working on this for a number of years. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into making this first class. I just saw the players and they were overwhelmed. We are just blown away."

"It is so exciting and a big deal for the franchise and our community," Zito said. "One of the nicer things to come of this from the players not only is the excitement, but the appreciation. They appreciate it very much."

The Panthers have been splitting their practices between the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise and the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, each located on the western side of Broward County.

This new training facility is much closer to where most of the players and coaching staff live.

Coach Paul Maurice did not take a golf cart nor drive his SUV to work on Friday morning.

No, he walked from his home through the adjoining Holiday Park.

"That was a nice change for me," Maurice said. "Usually, by the time I leave the house and get the first cup of coffee at the IceDen, it is about an hour. I didn’t have to make coffee at home this morning because the coffee here is better."

The team spared no expense on its new digs, with the entire cost of the project — including a complete renovation of the historic auditorium, which had fallen into disrepair over the years — estimated at $85-90 million.

For the players, there is every amenity they could want, from a 40-seat theatre to saunas, whirlpools, and a complete gym.

They also have large indoor and outdoor lounges, including an outdoor area with grills.

There are pickleball courts right outside the doors of their side of the building.

The Panthers can also access tennis courts and the various athletic fields at Holiday Park to take advantage of the South Florida weather.

"We are even close to the beach," captain Aleksander Barkov said. "If you want to swim before or after practice."

When the facility officially opens to the public, there is stadium seating for more than 1,000 fans to watch practices.

"This is more amazing than I could ever imagine," Tkachuk said. "It is very special to open up and be the first group of guys to be out here after four years of planning and work. It looks unbelievable. I don’t think anyone in hockey has a facility like this. This is as good as it gets."

When the facility nears completion and opens to the general public in the coming months, visiting NHL teams will use the Iceplex for practices and morning skates before games against the Panthers. 

Most teams stay on Fort Lauderdale beach, and many currently skip the morning skate because of the hassle of driving to Sunrise — about a 45-minute trek if traffic is favorable.

The Iceplex is about 10 minutes from the luxury hotels that house visiting teams. 

The Panthers are more than willing to share their new home — and to show it off.

"Everything is new, everything is very nice. There are a lot of TVs. This is great," Barkov said. "It was kind of nice to go a different way. I have had the same drive for 10 years and I was excited to come in. We got lost a few times, but we'll figure it out. I haven’t had a chance to check it all out."