ICEBREAKING FOR A NEW HOME, 1996

When the Panthers first took the ice in 1993, they shared Miami Arena with the NBA’s Miami Heat. By 1996, however, the city of Sunrise, Florida, had approved a $167-million financing and construction plan for a new arena, which would initially be called the Broward County Arena and is now Amerant Bank Arena. This pick initiated the “icebreaking” for the new arena, which was ultimately ready for the 1998-1999 season.