(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Shortly before noon Friday, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice skated on the club’s logo under pristine ice.
Ten minutes later, this ice looked less good, after the Panthers’ skates had stepped on it for the first time.
It was a big problem for the Panthers to finally have to overcome. They skated on the ice at their new training complex for the first time Friday, practicing at the Memorial after two and a half years of modernization at the now 73-year-old building.
The official name of this new facility is the Baptist Health IcePlex at FTL War Memorial. The building was inaugurated in 1950. Renovation plans to install two ice rinks, 1,000 seats for fans, restaurants, shops and spaces for outdoor concerts were put forward in 2021.
What was initially expected to cost US65 million ended up costing much more. And it’s not over yet: employees were busy completing the landscaping work and interior finishing. But the portion affecting the team is completed. An official opening is planned for sometime in 2024.
The memorial is about a 25-minute drive from Amerant Bank Arena, where the Panthers play their home games. That’s about the same distance as the team’s former training complex. But several players live in the memorial area. For proof: several went to practice in a golf cart on Friday.