[Cali Panthers Fan]

They aren't going anywhere right now, you can be sure of that. Could it happen in the future? Very possibly.

The fans are tired of watching a losing team, that's all. Honestly, in my experiences talking with people, there's enough support there if they just iced a team that was competitive year in and year out. Having 1 year in the playoffs in nearly 20 years is not good enough. No fan base can survive those kinds of results. This is why teams like Atlanta moved away, but Nashville is going strong. If Tampa Bay can be successful in Florida, why can't the Panthers? Results matter, and it's hard to convince people to spend not only their money on games, but their time and effort. There are lots of things to do in South Florida all throughout the winter, and hockey is just another entertainment option. The owners realize they're in a competitive market and are trying to ice a better team, but as we all know it's hard to turn around a bottom 3 team overnight.

The finances will work themselves out if the fans just start showing up. The freebies are gone and the ownership is sticking to that. Good, because all it does is devalue the product if you can get it for free, or very nearly free. There are enough fans from those years of freebies that if the Panthers get the on-ice product worked out they'll come back and willingly pay to support the team.

However, I will say, that the team can use the awful attendance optics to justify moving the team if it never improves. That's the one thing I worry about.