South Florida’s young hockey enthusiasts will soon have a new avenue to pursue their love of the sport.
The Florida Panthers announced Monday that they have created a Tier II (A & AA) girls’ travel hockey program, which will be offered out of the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale starting in the fall.
“The creation of this program allows the Panthers organization to continue to build on and expand the South Florida Lucky Pucks Girls Hockey Club’s foundation and culture they have built and elevate to the next level,” the Panthers said in an April 13 news release.
Todd Eckler, the Junior Lucky Pucks’ general manager, told the Coral Springs News on April 14 that the team’s move from the nonprofit to the Panthers is a return to its original mission and a way to move it forward.
After receiving death threats from a member of her team, Eckler’s daughter Madison founded the all-girls team in addition to starting a nonprofit to fight sexism in hockey.
Though the team was originally supposed to be with the Florida Panthers, the timing didn’t work out, so it went to the Lucky Pucks, a nonprofit with decades of experience in South Florida.
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They maintained a relationship with the Panthers, and eventually administrators made an offer to take over the Junior Lucky Pucks — combining its foundation with the NHL team’s finances and connections to drive it even further.
The Junior Lucky Pucks’ players had a say in the decision and, according to Eckler, drew a firm line at what they would and wouldn’t tolerate.
“My daughter talked to some of the girls and she said, ‘We don’t want to be second-class citizens. We want to be treated equally to the co-ed teams,’” he said.
When Eckler took that to the Panthers’ management team, he felt validated.
“We are a thousand percent aligned on the philosophy,” he said.
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This also comes just after the Junior Cats’ inaugural season in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) Florida Division. The team captured the division’s regular-season title this season.
Tryouts will take place from 2:30 to 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, and from 8:15 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 3.
Visit the Junior Panthers website for updates and more information.
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