The Florida Panthers: Toronto’s Other NHL Home Team?

Nothing like mixing two of my favourite things – hockey and travel. With the 2014-15 NHL underway and Toronto Maple Leafs tickets sold out already for this season and beyond, it’s time to take a look outside the box. Sure, there’s the Buffalo Sabres alternative but it’s cold, the team is just as mediocre as the Maple Leafs and, well, it’s Buffalo.

What about the Florida Panthers? Well that sounds dumb! Or, does it???

For those in Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario that are hopelessly obedient to a franchise that last won a Stanley Cup a year before this 45 year old was born, maybe it’s time to look south. Afterall, you need an escape to the sun this winter anyway, right? For a one night trip from Buffalo Airport, the cost can be as low as $344 per person.

Before we start, I’d like to make one thing abundantly clear: I am not a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I blame them for all the greed in pro sports and say ‘shame on you’ for not putting out a competitive product year after year after year when your fans spend ridiculous amounts of money on you. I am a free agent. I am a huge fan of the Ontario Hockey League and I tend to decide my favourite NHL team each year based on the number of OHL grads are on a roster. This year, I have signed a one year fan deal with none other than the Florida Panthers.

What’s good about flying to see the Florida Panthers?

• Sunny, hot Southern Florida
• Decent hockey team, despite Luongo in net
• Ticket prices for some games are as low as $18
• Tickets are always available from the box office at face value
• No need to pay a scalper 5x face value for your tickets
• Arena in Sunrise is practically walking distance from the Florida Everglades
• Beach
• Overall price might not be much more than driving to a Leafs game for some in Southern Ontario ($344 per person, including flight, 1 night hotel, car rental, game tickets – based on two people travelling)

Let’s get a little more detailed with a case study. Toronto plays in Florida on Tuesday, March 3, 2015. This gives plenty of time to make arrangements. Although, if just going down for the game and no extra time in Florida, I would just call in sick for a couple of days…

Note: prices were as of October 8, 2014 and are subject to change and availability.

So, at minimum, we’re going to want to fly in early Tuesday and leave sometime Wednesday, preferably not too early. The most important thing that people should know is that this is not the Miami Panthers. The Florida Panthers play out of the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, north of Miami. The most direct airport to fly into is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). It is just a short freeway drive directly west from FLL to Sunrise.

Flight

Folks in the GTA have two main options for flying to FLL. You can take either Westjet or Air Canada from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) direct to Fort Lauderdale. This means you will have to clear customs at FLL which can be a slow process and you will need to pay around $525 per person for the round trip. At this time, there is a cheaper $394 option via United Airlines but the flight connects in Chicago and arrives at 5:35pm, a little tight for making the start of the game.

Or, you can fly out of Buffalo, New York and pay as low as $239 per person for a round trip direct flight via JetBlue. The benefits other than price include clearing customs in your own car before the flight and cheaper parking at the Buffalo airport.

Hotel / Car Rental

The car is king in Southern Florida. You must have a car. Luckily, car rentals are cheap and supply is infinite at FLL. From around $50 per day including taxes, your chariot awaits.

Depending on what other activities you want to take part in during your stay, hotels can be had in a wide ranging area around Sunrise. If you want a bit of sun, sand and surf, the Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach or Pompano Beach areas are for you. If a trip to the Everglades, the Florida Keys or Miami suits you more, then Hollywood and Sunrise might be better. Regardless, hotel rooms can be had in the $80 to $140 night range. Checkout Hotels.com for more details.

Game Tickets

The Florida Panthers play out of the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The venue opened in October, 1998 and has been the home of the Panthers since the 1998-99 season. For ice hockey, the venue seats a lofty 19,250. The BB&T Center is located just off the Sawgrass Expressway, north of Interstate 595/75 just before it becomes Alligator Alley.

Panthers game ticket pricing fluctuates, depending on the visiting team. Because of the number of Canadian vacationers and snowbirds in the area, the Maple Leafs are always on the high end of ticket pricing. Regardless, tickets are readily available and range from as low as $29 each in the upper bowl to between $55 and $282 in the lower bowl.

Just to give an example how extreme the price difference can be based on visiting team, the Dallas Stars visit two nights later on March 5. Upper bowl tickets start at just $18.50 and the lower bowl range is from $36 to $182. Even tickets to see the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings start at just $20.50.

Stay Longer

Remember, the bulk of any vacation price when the duration is less than a week is in the flight. If you stay two nights, your price doesn’t double and if you stay three your price doesn’t triple. Your flight stays the same, it’s just hotel and car rental that are added on for each additional night. Also, food and drink, of course.

If you can, stay a few extra nights and explore South Florida in that rental car that most likely has unlimited mileage. The beach is the beach – it’s hard to not enjoy oneself in that environment. The Florida Everglades, despite being world reknown, are probably one of the most underrated natural attractions in the U.S. Explore the massive park – you will be amazed. Then there’s Miami and the Florida Keys – unlimited fun and scenery…