the Panthers are in Sunrise, Florida. When I was in Miami, my brothers and I went to a game down there vs. the Penguins and it was one of the first visits by Crosby. The building was largely empty and the fans in the building didn't even know what hockey was. I remember they would broadcast the rules on the jumbotron, like what offsides are for example- and the number of scalpers outside the building was hilarious (lots, and you could secure tickets for like $5.
I recall the drive to get there from Miami was a little long, and traffic was a bit of an issue. I remember thinking it was sort of out of the way and if they had a way to get the arena in downtown Miami they'd be much better off.
Honestly, I think arena location is a huge deal. Look at Phoenix as another example... you need a place that's relatively easily accessible. It was annoying having to drive a ways out to get to that Panther game.
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