"Ten years ago, a photo from a Florida Panthers game went viral -- and still lives in infamy. That picture was right at puck drop. It wound up being around 7,000 for the night, but Canadian media were all over us -- and rightfully so. If you're watching a professional sports team have crowds like that, it begs the question: Is this even worth it? Is this survival? Should the team be moved?"
"Fast-forward a decade, and the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are the toast of the hockey world. The South Florida market can be finicky and winning cures all, but the Panthers believe they have tapped into a sustainable model -- with a legitimate chance to repeat this season. They have that demeanor where they're confident, so they play that way, and that's tough to beat."
"At the NHL draft, it's customary for teams to get on stage and congratulate the recent Stanley Cup winner. At the 2024 draft in Las Vegas, weeks after Florida hoisted its first Cup, not one team shouted out the Panthers. Nobody likes us."
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