Nice ice, baby: Florida Panthers open new practice venue in downtown Fort Lauderdale

With NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on hand, the Florida Panthers on Wednesday cut the ribbon on their long-awaited downtown Fort Lauderdale practice facility, Baptist Health IcePlex, a family-oriented centerpiece of the renovation of War Memorial Auditorium in Holiday Park.

The new $65 million venue includes two NHL-quality ice rinks: One is for team practices, many of which will be open to the public; the other is dedicated to public skating, youth and adult club hockey, and skating instruction. The first sessions of public skating begin on Thursday afternoon.  

Bettman called Baptist Health IcePlex “a magnificent facility.”

“One of the things the NHL prides itself on is, are teams making a difference in the lives of the people in the communities in which they play. I don’t think there can be any better example than what we’re looking at here,” Bettman said. 

Wednesday’s ceremonies came nearly three years after the 2021 groundbreaking and included a parade of team officials, city and county politicians, and other civic leaders. The Panthers were represented by Michael Viola, son of owner Vincent Viola, president and CEO Matt Caldwell and general manager Bill Zito, among others. 

Also in attendance were Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, former Mayor Jack Seiler, County Commissioner Robert McKinzie and District 2 City Commissioner Steve Glassman, who went to high school with Bettman on Long Island, N.Y. 

Trantalis called the venue a “shining example” of what public-private partnerships can create. The project began in 2019, he said, when the City Commission voted to invest $800,000 to improve the War Memorial Auditorium, now nearly 75 years old.  

“This project is not just about restoring a building, it’s also about transforming our community overall, creating a vibrant destination for sports, entertainment and recreation,” Trantalis said. 

The next phase of the project will include a second-story restaurant, The Federal, which is scheduled to open in April. The Federal will be operated by Knallhart Management Group, which runs several popular downtown restaurants and bars, including Holly Blue, Rhythm & Vine, The Wilder, Roxanne’s Liquor Bar & Kitchen and, soon, The Shorely at the Bahia Mar on Fort Lauderdale beach.  

The property also will feature a major music venue in the renovated War Memorial Auditorium, with acts booked by global entertainment company Live Nation. It’s expected to open this summer. 

The Panthers’ corporate offices will remain at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, and the team will continue to support programs on the three rinks at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs. Panthers CEO Caldwell said the team recently extended its contract with the IceDen. 

But the team’s hockey headquarters is now at Baptist Health IcePlex.

Caldwell called the venue “a communal hub, an entertainment district to bring the county together.”

That’s where things got a little Messi. 

“We’re all about Broward County. We’re not like another team that says they’re here, but they’re trying to go to Miami,” Caldwell said, laughing. 

He said the facility would continue the team’s “hockey is for everyone” theme, with leagues for girls, learn-to-skate classes, free hockey tutorials and events for the disabled. 

Walking her dog in Holiday Park on Wednesday afternoon, Fort Lauderdale resident Ellen Fried, 55, was happy to hear the doors on the facility were opening. 

“I don’t know how to ice skate, but maybe I’ll learn,” she said, laughing. “I do have a toddler granddaughter who likes to play rough. Maybe hockey is for her.”

If you’re into Panthers swag, the team shop is large, aesthetically pleasing and fully stocked. A Matthew Tkachuk jersey by Adidas, with sewn-on nameplate, shield and patches, costs $285.

Panthers GM Zito said the facility also benefits the players.  A state-of-the-art practice facility in the middle of Fort Lauderdale’s thriving downtown, where “significantly more” than half of the roster and staff lives, is unique among NHL teams, he said.

Removing the commute — Coach Paul Maurice, a Victoria Park resident, sometimes walks to work — is a huge improvement in the team’s quality of life, Zito said. 

“We’re the only [NHL team] who has a facility that is located so perfectly. It makes a difference,” he said.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.