Jr. Panthers Looking to Keep zation. I
t may not be the biggest or the oldest hockey organization out there, but the Florida Jr. Panthers are a model of consistency in South
Florida.
One of just a handful of organiza- tions in the area, the Jr. Panthers are approaching their 15th anniversary this season. Known as the Coral Springs Coyotes from 1997-00, the travel orga- nization changed its name 11 years ago to the Jr. Panthers to form a parallel notch with the NHL’s Panthers. The organization currently fields 10 teams, which Jr. Panthers general man- ager Jeff Grier said is pretty typical. “We range from 10 to 12 teams con- sistently every year,” Grier boasted. Last year, a number of teams within
the organizations combined to bring home quite a load of hardware. The 16U Midget AA team advanced
to USA Hockey’s national championship before falling short in the finals. The 16U Midget A team was Florida state champs and the Pee Wee Minor team won gold in the Florida Amateur Hockey League (FAHL) league championship. The real bragging rights, though,
were in the Squirt AA division where the Jr. Panthers Squirt Minor team won a state championship, capped by a win in the championship game over the Jr. Panthers Squirt Major team. The success of the organization extends beyond the borders of the state as well, as two former Jr. Panthers were taken in the NHL draft in June. Plantation’s Colin Suellentrop was taken by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth round (116th overall) and Brody Sutter was picked 193rd overall in the seventh round by the Carolina Hurri- canes. Sutter, whose father, Duane, and
five uncles, Brent, Brian, Darryl, Rich and Ron, combined to log more than 5,000 games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup five times, joined two of his cousins in the Hurricanes’ organi-
Improving On, Off Ice Alumni Starting to Make Mark at Higher Levels By Corey Voegele
The Jr. Panthers also claim Sam
Gagner as one of its own after Gagner, who has 59 goals and 114 assists in four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, played Mites and Squirts for the organi- zation. “We have many college and prep school alumni as well,” Grier noted. The Jr. Panthers organization is based out of the Saveology Iceplex in Coral Springs, which is also the official practice facility of the NHL team. The Iceplex has three sheets of ice, mak- ing it the largest hockey complex in the area. In addition to sharing a nickname
and practice facility with South Florida’s NHL team, the Jr. Panthers enjoy other benefits of their relationship with the Panthers. “Our program is non-profit, so we
have no ties, but they do offer sup- port in a lot of ways,” Grier said, noting that the Jr. Panthers rely heavily on volunteers, most of whom are parents of players in the organization. “We couldn’t do it without them. They take care of all the extra little details. If we had to pay people (to do what the vol- unteers do), it would make it that much more expensive.” The organization is headed by a
three-member board and also has an advisory committee in place that includes a handful of current or former NHL players, coaches and front-office personnel, including Billy Lindsay and Paul Healey, current Panthers goal- tending coach Robb Tallas, current Jr. Panthers Pee Wee Major coach Chris Wells and current Panthers assistant general manager Mike Santos. The committee is a recent addition
to the organization. It was formed in May to help grow the organization’s travel hockey program and continue the development of youth hockey in the South Florida region. If the saying that kids are the future holds true, then the future is bright in Dade County.
The Florida Jr. Panthers 16U Midget AA team celebrates their first win of the season last month. Photo/Patricia Cash
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