Litter Box Cats: FanPosts

Fanpost: NHL Third Jersey Saga: Part 4 "The Elements"

2013-05-03T06:14:53Z

In the three previous entries of the third jersey saga, I discussed the best examples of good, bad and awful jersey designs. The Florida Panthers have not gotten too radical with their third jersey designs but they have only attempted two designs in reality. With their next attempt at a third jersey it is important to note what the design elements are and what direction the team could take to ensure success.

The first element is color. The Florida Panthers have used the same set of colors since their inception in 1993. They have worn red, white, and navy blue jerseys with every other color appearing in some capacity, the only deviation of which was the recently discontinued "Happy Cat Jetblue" jerseys. The primary color and secondary color of the jersey are extremely important and they cannot be taken lightly or else you get the Happy Cat affect or with the worst case scenario being the Mustard Yellow Smilodon jersey of Nashville. Usually teams go with the secondary team color as the primary color on the third. The Panthers have used navy blue mostly but there was a time where they almost used a yellow/gold jersey as the primary color. This however was cut out at the last minute though some were produced and are collector’s items among Cats and NHL fans.

via instagram.com/van_murph

The use of the home jersey color for the third jersey color is not uncommon. Boston, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Calgary, Los Angeles and Vancouver all have third jerseys that are the same primary color as the home jersey. Washington is the only team that has a road white jersey as a third jersey. The Panthers emphasis on red makes me believe that they could get away with a third jersey of the same primary color. If they want to differentiate a bit they could do as New York, St. Louis or Columbus do and use a different shade of the primary color for the third.

Secondary color is equally important as the downfall of the Jetblue jersey has shown. The secondary must complement the primary in a way that doesn’t compromise the team identity. Using shades of colors that don’t match with the team can be hit or miss. An example of a hit is the current Columbus third jersey. The Panthers have mainly paired navy with red and vice versa in their jersey schemes but some fans clamoring for change have sought a different combo and I concur. The current use of gold in the Panthers color scheme has always been minimal except in the striping of the original white jerseys. As you can see the combination actually works very well and calls to mind the look of not only their NBA counterparts the Miami Heat but also the colors of the Florida state flag. A possible red and gold combo with white and little to no navy could be a refreshing sight on the ice.

via deviantart.net

The next design element is stripe design. It may seem trivial but stripe design is what makes the colors of a jersey work. The placement, thickness, and amount of stripes have to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The first four years of the Reebok Edge era were times of experiment for most teams but after those initial years it became quite apparent that the stripe designs that look simple and those that have been employed by teams for decades still remain the best aesthetically. The Ottawa Senators current third jersey is a prime example of what classic stripe design can do. The current Tampa Bay Lightning third is a hodgepodge of stripes and elements that just does not look good when put together. What kind of striping could the Panthers use? So far in their history they have not tried to push the envelope and have remained fairly conservative in regards to striping. My take is to do as Ottawa did and take the design of the Silver Seven Senators and modernize it. The original striping the Cats employed with their CCM uniforms on the tail, with the small stripes leading to a large solid one, could be reused slightly and give the team a simple yet classic look. The shoulder stripes are a design element that could be used too but the Cats have not gone without a shoulder stripe or yolk so maybe they could try a third sans stripe to see how it looks.

For purely speculative purposes I designed a jersey with these elements I suggested and will post them here so that those reading can get an idea of what could be done.

via photobucket.com

The final elements are the logos. Logos, especially the crest, are the most prominent element of a hockey jersey. Logos can make or break a jersey design, the Happy Cat once again comes to mind with the Burger King, Wild Wing, and Mooterus being the poster children for bad crest design. In fact if you look at the Wild Wing jersey next to the Cats originals they are almost the same striping but Wild Wing just was too Disney for NHL fans to handle past the Mighty Ducks movies and cartoon show. Crests are very unique and third jersey crests are often the hardest to design for since the primary team logo is often not used aside from the home and road jerseys. Some teams use scripts, either the team name or city/region name or both. Currently both New York teams, Minnesota, Colorado and Tampa Bay use it with only Tampa Bay deviating from the norm by using the team nickname. Other teams go retro or a modern retro update with their third crest as seen in Boston, Calgary, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington. There are teams that simply use a secondary logo that has always been part of their logo sets like in Anaheim, Carolina and San Jose with Florida’s CCM third jerseys doing so by simply using the Panther breaking a stick logo. Finally there are teams that create an entirely new logo for the third as currently seen in Columbus, Phoenix and St. Louis. The shoulder logo is an element that is also important but is also like shoulder stripes in that they can be optional in their use.

From a crest perspective what should the Cats do? They’ve gone the route of creating a retro style circle logo but the design of the Panther was flawed. In fact that circle logo was inspired by a logo the Cats rarely used that mixed the primary’s head in a circle logo over the secondary palm tree, sun and stick logo.

via ebay.com

A script as the logo is a conservative, safe approach with only font and placement being the main worries. Just do not think about "CATS" as the script as Ottawa fans will tell you how great "SENS" worked out. Some have suggested using the palm tree, stick and sun as the crest but too me and probably to the original designer and the franchise that logo was never meant to be a crest and is solely a shoulder logo. An entirely new design is tough to create but if done right be beloved amongst fans as seen in New York with the Lady Liberty thirds. Using history is tough due to South Florida’s relative lack of historical events and landmarks are also tough to use since the Panthers location name is a regional name and not a city name like Miami. Playing on elements of the region such as the sun or palm trees could be a way to go. Finally using the Panther but from a different perspective is the only other route. Currently in the Den of Honor inside the BB&T Center is a display that shows the original artist designs for the Panthers logos. I rendered that myself and added a sun and stick in an homage to the defunct WHA Miami Screaming Eagles and their logo. This is purely indicative of a direction that could be taken in crest design.

via PanthersHockey.deviantart.net

The Florida Panthers are going to enter their 20th season and have done pretty well in having uniform sets that have lasted a while in terms of how they are designed. The third jersey introduced in 2009 changed that however and its failure as a third jersey has made Panthers fans and hopefully the franchise think about what they can do next for a third and be careful in their design. The colors must work well together and new colors introduced must not compromise the identity of the franchise. The stripes must break up the solid primary jersey color in an aesthetically pleasing way. Finally the logos used as the crest and/or the shoulder logos must represent the franchise namesake and/or region/city through a design that artistically expresses that. The Florida Panthers have a golden opportunity to make a third jersey that every Cats fan and player can be proud to wear. And who know, maybe it could be so good that it could replace the Leaping Cat designs and signify the ushering of a new, successful era for South Florida hockey.

via instagram.com/van_murph

via deviantart.net

For purely speculative purposes I designed a jersey with these elements I suggested and will post them here so that those reading can get an idea of what could be done.

via photobucket.com

via ebay.com

via PanthersHockey.deviantart.net

Poll

Which element to you is the most crucial in creating a good third jersey?

The Primary Color

3 votes

The Secondary Color

1 votes

The Striping

4 votes

The Crest Logo

14 votes

The Shoulder Logos

0 votes

22 votes | Poll has closed

Fanpost: NHL Third Jersey Saga: Part 3 "The Ugly"

2013-05-01T20:36:24Z

Last time we talked about the NHL third jerseys that almost had it but just found a way to mess things up and make a team look bad. But those have nothing for what we will see coming up. These jerseys have been referenced in countless lists as some of the worst jerseys in NHL and sports history. If the Panthers want to avoid ridicule and shame when designing a new third they better look at these follies of fashion and graphic design.

NHL jerseys serve as a large canvas for designing whatever you want and back in the CCM days, especially the expansion era of the 1990s; some teams were pretty much throwing designs into the air and seeing what stuck. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were owned by the Walt Disney company and should have had a wealth of knowledge from all the designers and animators they had under contract. Well they went wacky by designing a jersey that featured mascot Wild Wing bursting through the ice on an eggplant green background. It was just too much and the Ducks would rarely show up in the jerseys after subjecting themselves to laughter around the league.

via content.sportslogos.net

Their rivals up the freeway did not fare much better. The Los Angeles Kings saw the third jersey program as an opportunity to cash in on new jersey sales while they still had the arguably greatest player ever on their payroll. It’s too bad they didn't design a third jersey worthy of being worn by him just one worthy of being worn by the Burger King. Yes this jersey was just bad. It was with a silver gradient flowing across the chest from the side. The "Burger King" moniker comes from the crest set on the left side of the chest with an angry looking king. To reintroduce the LA Lakers gold and purple back into the Kings scheme they made the king’s beard purple. It just looks weird and silly. You just wonder if the Kings and Ducks should play their outdoor game on April Fool’s Day and bring these jerseys back just for a laugh.

via nhluniforms.com

The Dallas Stars had done a nice job of separating themselves from their Minnesota roots and finding success in Texas. Their original third jersey, based on the NHL All Star jerseys, would be the one they wore on the way to the Stanley Cup in 1999 and become the base for the team afterward. A new third would need to be made. What they would come up with is the prime example of how an ill-fated change of color and logo design can make you a league laughingstock. The striping was not bad but the addition of red, a color the team never used not even in Minnesota, was perplexing. The crest logo is something that Stars fans dare not mention and one the organization still catches flak for today. It is a bull’s head facing forward with lines inside of it to look like a constellation with a red shooting star placed alongside the bull’s right horn. The constellation and bull’s head however resembled a woman’s uterus and then hilarity ensued. The jerseys are now affectionately called the "Mooterus".

via content.sportslogos.net

The Phoenix Coyotes had quite a radical jersey design to start with but they weren’t bad for the team and the 90s saw lots of teams in all sports trying to be the next trendsetter in design. The third jerseys the Coyotes busted out in 1999 were just taking it too far. In what looks like a jersey designed by a person on acid we have a coyote head looking like he is having an acid trip. An Arizona landscape of mesas, cacti, and a moon align the jersey tail and sleeves. It is bad but in a "boy the 90s sure were wacky" kind of way.

via content.sportslogos.net

The Nashville Predators for the longest time were a team struggling to make a foothold in the Music City. They finally have broken through in connecting with Tennesseans and finding a color combination and primary jersey designs that speaks to their region. But in 2001 they brought out one of THE most atrocious looking colors to ever grace a professional sports playing surface. It is called mustard but the combination of that, and a horrendously rendered Smilodon as a crest with Smilodon skulls serving as shoulder logos, made these jerseys look sickening.

via content.sportslogos.net

Another bad color choice in third jersey-dom is the current Islanders alternate. During the late 90’s and through the mid-2000s an obsession with black in sports jerseys swept the spoting landscape as teams created black alternate uniforms even though black is not their primary color or merely a small accent. Starting in the late 2000s the trend began to fade as teams started coming to their senses even though some stragglers are left. In the NHL teams like Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Chicago can get away with it because it is part of their color scheme. But the Islanders have no business wearing black, at least not until they go to Brooklyn. The striping is not bad, the use of the name as the crest is weird but not terrible. Just that black mixed with the grey is off to me.

via content.sportslogos.net

These next two examples are reasons why you should never use nicknames as crests. These designs seem to be bad only in the way everything is clashing together. The Lightning had a terrible third in the 90s but they seemed to have been content in having a new terrible one now in the Edge era. The jersey is not unified in any way and there is too much going on especially when looking at the area along the inside of the sleeve.

via content.sportslogos.net

The Sens were very much the same with stripes and colors coming out of every corner. This seems to be the issue for many teams in the Edge era as they continue to learn what works and doesn’t work with the current material and technology available.

via content.sportslogos.net

The Sens have since made up for their 3rd faux pas but the Bolts are still dragging their blue eyesore around even though their primary jersey is now blue also.

I won’t go on anymore with ugly third jerseys as you might need some eye drops by now. Thankfully the Cats haven’t gone on to make a travesty of a third jersey yet. This is why it is important to look at what works and what doesn’t before moving forward with designing a new third. Next time we will discuss the elements of an NHL jersey and what the Cats could do in picking a combination that will make a solid third jersey.

via content.sportslogos.net

via nhluniforms.com

via content.sportslogos.net

The Sens have since made up for their 3rd faux pas but the Bolts are still dragging their blue eyesore around even though their primary jersey is now blue also.

Poll

What should a third jersey be about? (Other than a sales tool)

Experimentation

3 votes

Representing team history

16 votes

Representing the region

4 votes

Change for change's sake

6 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

Fanpost: NHL Third Jersey Saga: Part 2 "The Bad"

2013-04-27T03:53:56Z

Last time we took a look at the Florida Panthers third jerseys through the years and the examples of highly successful third jerseys by other NHL franchises since 1995-96. Now we go with the bad. These jerseys are not bad in the sense that they are flawed designs necessarily; they are bad because they may have been overreaching or lose the identity of the team somewhere in the process.

First we have the Edmonton Oilers. The team has worn their traditional colors of orange and blue since their inception in the days of the World Hockey Association. In the late 1990s however they decided to go with a darker, more metallic looking copper and navy. When designing their third jersey they hired part-owner and comic book artist Todd McFarlane, who created Spawn. What the final product turned out to be was a cool design for a team, just not the Oilers. The jersey was navy blue with white and grey/silver stripes on the tail and arms. The shoulder logos had "OILERS" script in metal with an oil drop. The crest featured an oil drop in navy with metal surrounding it like a gear and a metallic tail like a comet. Once again it is not badly designed but the set just did not feel like the Oilers. Introduced in 2001-02 they did not make it into the Reebok Edge era.

via content.sportslogos.net

The Calgary Flames also introduced a third jersey that design-wise was not terrible but once again featured a crest that did not look right. The jersey was black with the red and yellow stripes making a V-shape when seeing the jersey with outstretched sleeves. The jersey template was good in fact the Flames would use it as the base for new home and road jerseys. The crest was bad on the other hand. It featured a horse's head with flames shooting from its' nostrils. It tries to signify the city of Calgary’s rodeo roots but the design is just off. The black jersey would become the road jersey for the team for three seasons before being relegated again as an alternate when the NHL made the dark jerseys the home jerseys again. The design would also not carry into the Reebok Edge era.

via content.sportslogos.net

The Boston Bruins had a gold third jersey that would last 10 seasons but somehow it seemed to be a stretch. They are known as the "teddy bear" jerseys. The Bruins stab at a new third jersey ditched the famed spoked wheel in favor of a realistic looking bear head. Not a ferocious looking bear, just a nice looking one. The striping and shoulder logo were just not good. The shoulder logo was just "BRUINS" script straight across and it clashed with the stripping which was done in a pattern that tried to resemble fur. This would look great for a kids hockey team just not a National Hockey League team comprised of grown men.

via content.sportslogos.net

The New York Islanders came out with a jersey that was not brought down by bad logos but by bad stripe design. The crest was the traditional Islanders logo. This third featured triangular shapes jutting into the abdomen from the sides making it look very polygonal. Once again I could see this as a good design for a rec league team comprised of video game designers or geometry teachers but not for the NHL.

via content.sportslogos.net

The best example of a bad third jersey that hits close to home for us in South Florida is what is known as either the "Happy Cat" or the "Jetblues". From a design standpoint the striping and color choice of the jersey is not bad. In some ways it reminds me of the University of Maine’s hockey jerseys.

via images.demandmade.com

The navy blue combined with the Columbia or powder blue is a very aesthetically pleasing look. Yet the Florida Panthers just did not look right to many fans in this jersey. Some complaints were attributed to the colors not being the traditional Panthers fare with the biggest crime being the omission of red. The logos on the jersey also did not feel right. The crest of a Panther head that looks to be an update to the classic leaping cat’s head looked off. The cat just did not look fierce or intimidating. It looked like it was yawning to me personally. Then the shoulder logos scrapped the classic stick and palm tree for a pretty lazy design of a half-sun with "FLA" coming out the other half. Finally the motive behind the look turned fans off as it seemed to be sponsor based and looked awfully similar to the Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic jerseys from 2008 (it didn't help that the Panthers debuted this jersey against the Penguins).

via impeccablehubris.files.wordpress.com

So there you have examples of the way a third jersey could be good looking in some aspects but can be ruined by either bad logos or bad stripe design. Next time we'll look at some of the most infamous jerseys in NHL history that would not have seen the light of day had it not been for the third jersey program. Get your Whoppers ready.

via content.sportslogos.net

via images.demandmade.com

via impeccablehubris.files.wordpress.com

Poll

What was it about the "Happy Cat" jersey that you disliked the most?

The Colors (Where's my RED?!)

18 votes

The Crest (Is that Cat sick or something?)

5 votes

The Shoulder Logos (come on now, abbreviations?!)

3 votes

The Striping (We were made in 1993, not 1893!)

0 votes

The supposed motive behind their design (I feel like I've seen these at the airport...)

3 votes

Too Penguins-like (Nobody even ties their tie-down collars!)

9 votes

Dislike? I loved them! (We know it's you MY)

1 votes

39 votes | Poll has closed

Fanpost: NHL Third Jersey Saga: Part 1 "The Good"

2013-04-17T06:21:07Z

What makes a good third jersey?

The Florida Panthers are approaching the club’s 20th anniversary which is a huge milestone, more so for a hockey club that may have not survived were it not for a Cinderella run at the Stanley Cup in 1996. What the team has in store for their 20th anniversary, if anything, has not been discussed but a good thing to have for me would be a new third jersey. The NHL’s third jersey program started in the 1995-96 season to allow clubs to market new jerseys to fans and to provide a new look to hockey teams. This license to experiment with a team’s brand has spawned some real winners and some catastrophic failures. For me I believe third jerseys can be split into three categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Before I get into those I will briefly touch upon the Florida Panthers’ use of the third jersey program. The Panthers original third jersey, appearing in 1998-99 for the opening of the now BB&T Center, was actually a simple color swap of their uniform kit which at the time had been in use since the team's inception. The third jersey was navy blue as the primary color and the primary leaping cat logo was replaced with the secondary cat logo that is breaking a hockey stick with its claws.

via sportslogos.net

The Panthers in 2003-04 made their third jersey the new primary as the team shifted towards blue as their team identity. The red jersey then became the third jersey featuring the stick breaking cat.

via nhluniforms.com

In 2007-08 Reebok introduced their Edge hockey jerseys which made many teams find reason to change their look. Third jerseys would then be created the following season including an emphasis on retro and/or "fauxback" jerseys for many clubs. The Florida Panthers would try a fauxback, or a jersey kit made to look the part of retro, in 2009-10. This jersey featured a tie-down collar and was navy blue but substituted red for a Columbia blue and featured little gold outside of the shoulder logos and crest. The crest was a circle logo with "Florida Panthers" arched in a ring inside it centered by a panther head that did not resemble the original logo. The shoulder logos which had always featured the crossing hockey stick and palm tree over the sun were now changed to a half sun with "FLA" composing the other half. Some fans took a liking to this uniform set but many others feared the team identity was slowly creeping towards making this uniform as the base for a new primary set and developed conspiracy theories that a certain airline sponsor was the inspiration for the color scheme.

via nhluniforms.com

However after three seasons the team scrapped the uniforms after the contract with Reebok expired. It became apparent that fans and even those within the organization did not feel that the Panthers should look like this. In a movement that started with GM Dale Tallon and Alternate Governor Bill Torrey, the team returned to using red as their primary color dumping their blue primary jerseys after 2010-11. In 2013 the team plays without a third jersey which leaves many Cats fans wondering what they will do for one if they decide to create another. Let’s examine the good first. These are the successful third jerseys that made people take notice and enhanced the identity of the clubs that wore them.

In the early CCM days of the third jersey program the Chicago Blackhawks made a third jersey with the color contained in their name, black. The striping remained the same and the simplicity of it is what makes it a success, so much so they created a Reebok Edge version for it which made the jerseys last a whopping eleven seasons.

via sportslogos.net

Experimentation was the name of the game for teams with third jerseys. The Rangers, another Original 6 team, messed with their uniform set in the late 70’s and fans didn’t take too kindly about it. The beauty of third jerseys is it allows teams to keep their traditional look. The Rangers third was navy blue with red, white and grey/silver stripes on the forearms and collar. It featured Lady Liberty’s face with NYR below her and an update version of their shield logo on the shoulders .This uniform was such a success that the Rangers made a white version for one season and the set lasted ten seasons.

via sportslogos.net

The Vancouver Canucks had a tumultuous amount of change throughout the third jersey programs’ history going through three different color sets which culminated in them returning to their original color scheme of blue, white and green. This change was prompted by a third jersey in the 2006-07 season which was a vintage uniform from the 1970s. It would later become the base for their new primary Reebok Edge uniforms and would return in both blue and white as the team’s third and fourth jerseys. Other teams such as the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers would take this approach as well.

via sportslogos.net

There is the case of three teams currently that are wearing third jerseys that, to me, are actually better than the jerseys they primarily use. All are examples of fauxback style.

The Minnesota Wild make no qualms about the fact that their fans miss the Minnesota North Stars. So the perfect tribute to the old team is with a jersey that uses the North Stars primary color of green (albeit in a different shade) and vintage white with hints of red. This jersey features a tie down collar and "Minnesota" in baseball-esque script as the crest.

via sportslogos.net

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ third jersey is an example of what a little research into the culture and history of your region can do for you. The jersey is navy blue but scraps red and white with vintage white and steel blue. The crest features a circle logo that contains "Columbus Blue Jackets" in a ribbon surrounding an American Civil War Era cannon and a star.

via sportslogos.net

Finally the Ottawa Senators after years of misses with their third jerseys finally hit one out of the park. Surprisingly though the jersey was conceived by a fan of theirs. This fan created a black jersey with large red and vintage white stripes on the arms, tail, and across the chest, with matching stripes on the collar. The crest logo was taken from the original Ottawa Senators which won the Stanley Cup several times. The Senators had been using this "O" logo as the shoulder logo on their primary jerseys since the Reebok Edge switch. The shoulder logos are shields of red and black that show "Ottawa Senators" in English on one shoulder and French on the other. These logos are based off a patch the original Senators wore after winning the Stanley Cup the season before.

via sportslogos.net

So there you have it. These jerseys are to me some of the best out there that signify different approaches to creating a third jersey. You could do a simple color swap, create a new logo that still retains the feel of the team's original look, wear an older jersey from the team's past or create a uniform that looks vintage but somehow makes sense for that club. Next time I'll look at the bad jerseys, those that just couldn't cut it but not for lack of trying.

What makes a good third jersey?

via sportslogos.net

The Panthers in 2003-04 made their third jersey the new primary as the team shifted towards blue as their team identity. The red jersey then became the third jersey featuring the stick breaking cat.

via nhluniforms.com

via sportslogos.net

There is the case of three teams currently that are wearing third jerseys that, to me, are actually better than the jerseys they primarily use. All are examples of fauxback style.

via sportslogos.net

Poll

Should the Florida Panthers take another shot at creating a third jersey?

Yes, time to mix it up again

36 votes

No, still recovering from the Jetblues

12 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

FanPost: Panthers Puck-Drop Experience

2013-04-11T21:51:43Z

How's it going everyone! I just wanted to share a recent experience that I had the privilege to participate in.

Two weeks ago I found out that I had won the dream that all hockey fans yearn for: to drop the ceremonial puck at their favorite team's game. Thanks to South Florida Ford, I was given that opportunity. I won a contest on their Twitter page on a random chance, and their FaceBook account described the event as such:

"It’s only Monday but we have your weekend plans ready - strictly for Panthers fans. This Saturday vs. the Senators…you’re checking out the owners suite, you’re dropping the puck, and you’re getting an authentic personalized jersey. One winner – it can all be yours. Just hit us on Twitter #SFFPuckDrop. Winner picked tonight!"

So naturally, I gave it a shot. Who would have known that I was in for a real treat?

When they sent me a Tweet that I had won, I went berzerk. This is something that I have always dreamed of doing.

All week I was excited, and could not wait until Sunday to get my chance. When I got to the arena, I was brought downstairs to ice level during warm ups, and when it was over, it was my time to shine. I have been to hundreds of Florida Panthers games, but no view was quite like this one. I found myself looking skyward and just in complete awe of where I was. I was speechless while the players were warming up, not believing what I was about to do. As my name was called by the announcer, I was escorted to center ice by Stanley, and greeted by Brian Campbell and Zack Smith of the Senators. After I dropped the puck, I got to shake their hands, which was incredible.

After that, I went to my seat and watched the Cats beat the Sens, to top off an incredible experience. Thanks for reading, just wanted to share with everyone the moment of a lifetime! Center ice photo below:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/photodea.jpg/

-David Silverstone (@dsilverstone29)

How's it going everyone! I just wanted to share a recent experience that I had the privilege to participate in.

So naturally, I gave it a shot. Who would have known that I was in for a real treat?

When they sent me a Tweet that I had won, I went berzerk. This is something that I have always dreamed of doing.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/photodea.jpg/

-David Silverstone (@dsilverstone29)

FanPost: Help fight Pediatric Cancer

2013-04-09T01:09:00Z

Hello all,

The recent wagers benefiting the Florida Panthers' Pediatric Cancer Foundation inspired me to post about my own cancer fundraiser. My daughter Olivia is now one year into her fight with Leukemia. She is doing very well, however the search for a cure continues. I'm participating in a cancer walk with CureSearch and would like you to consider donating.

For my family's story, click here. The short version is that she's now 13 months past her ALL diagnosis and doing well. Her hair has grown back and now she's mostly just another hyperactive four year old who knows too much about chemotherapy.

To make a donation: click here. If we receive $100 in donations from Litter Box Cats community members I'll wear my LBC cap and Panthers jersey for the walk. To tell the truth, I'll probably wear the hat anyway. It's snazzy.

Thanks,
Jim (and Olivia) Hardiman
jimmyh71

Win a Suite, Make a bet

2013-04-04T23:41:26Z

This was gonna be way more elaborate but I kinda failed.

Here's the deal...

As some of you may be aware, Michael Yormark is having a contest on twitter to win a suite to Saturday night's game. I mentioned to Donny last night in a tweet that I would bet $20.00 that the "winner" ends up being a sponsor of the club. Donny replied that he'd put up $10.00 to the Panthers Pediatric Cancer Foundation if I was right. That got me thinking so I replied like so:

@litterboxcats @lefthookpro I'll go $20 if I'm right. $10 even if I'm wrong. I'll match up to $100 win or lose. #ChallengeGrant
— YouAre138 (@YouAre138) April 4, 2013

So that's what I wanna do. I'm in for $20.00 no matter what. No money has to change hands yet but If any of you are down to make a pledge in the comments I'll match them up to $100.00. That's up to two hundred bones to an extremely worthy cause and with any luck we'll get to tell the Foundation exactly how the money was raised.

Kind of fine print: I'm thinking the deadline for pledges should be when ever the announcement of the winner is made. Any pledge comments time stamped before the tweet announcing the win goes out will count. As far as the money transfer goes, I'm thinking of setting up a Kickstarter or PayPal just for this. If the "winner" is a sponsor all the money goes to the foundation. If the winner is a regular fan I'll donate the matching money and no one else has to throw in if they don't want to. Once it's all over I will provide photographic evidence of a cheque in the amount raised being handed over to a representative of the Foundation.

Lemme know what you think/call me crazy in the comments. If you feel like throwing a few bucks into this just post a comment!

This was gonna be way more elaborate but I kinda failed.

Here's the deal...

@litterboxcats @lefthookpro I'll go $20 if I'm right. $10 even if I'm wrong. I'll match up to $100 win or lose. #ChallengeGrant
— YouAre138 (@YouAre138) April 4, 2013

Lemme know what you think/call me crazy in the comments. If you feel like throwing a few bucks into this just post a comment!

Stanley Cup winners and the draft: what does this tell us about the Panthers?

2013-03-15T19:29:11Z

The Last 7 Stanley Cup winners (stretching through to Carolina in 2005-06 when the league returned from the lost season with some new rules)show some interesting tendencies that we Panther fans can look at to possibly gain a rough idea of when we may expect a "return to respectability." Starting with Los Angeles last season and looking at a prior 7-year sample of their drafting, the Kings had nine 1st round draft picks in that 7 year time period, 3 of which were top 5 picks. Of those top-5 picks, they were drafted between 2 to 4 seasons before the Kings won their cup in 2011-12. Boston won the cup in 2010-11. In the 7 prior drafts the Bruins had 6 first round picks, 2 of which were top 5 picks. Of their top-5 picks, they were drafted between that season and 4 seasons before the Bruins won the cup. Chicago won the cup in 2009-10. In the 7 prior draftsthe Hawks had 7 first round draft picks and 3 of those were top-5 picks. Of their top-5 picks, they were drafted between 2 to 5 seasons before the Hawks won their cup. Pittsburgh won its most recent cup in 2008-09. In the seven prior seasons the Penguins had 7 first round picks, a whopping 5 of which were top-5 picks. Of their top-5 picks, they were drafted between 2 to 6 seasons before they won their cup. In 2007-08 Detroit won a cup with no top-5 picks and only two first round picks in their prior 7 drafts. Detroit blows up any kind of statititical analysis. We can see here how true it is that Detroit does things differently. In 2006-07 Anaheim won its cup. They had 7 first round picks in the prior 7 seasons, 2 of which were top-5 picks, chosen between 1 and 5 seasons prior to winning. Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes of 2005-06, who had 6 first round picks in the prior 7 seasons, 2 of which were top-5 picks, taken 1-2 seaosons prior to their cup. Without question, the draft is only one piece of the puzzle for successful teams. Boston and Detroit both built their teams through excellent free agent scouting, late round draft picks and trades. Yet, certain characteristics do appear for nearly every winner. Once Detroit is excluded, virtually every winner has held on to their first round pick. Excluding Detroit, each of the winners had a minimum of 6 first round picks in a 7 season period. Further, excluding Detroit once again-- and Carolina coming off of the lost season-- every winner garnered a minimum of two top-5 picks (including Carolina) in a window of no more than 5 years prior to winning their cup (excluding Carolina which had their top-5's in a 1-2 season period but there was no season for one of those years). This brings us to the Panthers. Prior to Tallon taking over for the 2010 draft, the Panthers had drafted 7 first round picks in a 7 season period (having two picks in 2003 and no pick in 2008). Of those picks, only one was a top-5 pick, Nathan Horton in 2003. To be fair, the Panthers had top-5 picks in 2001 and 2002 as well, used on Weiss and JayBo. That means that if there is a maximum of a 6-season window following a team's first top-5 pick, the Panthers should have been hitting their comeptitive stride in roughly 2009. 2009-10 ended up being a disaster. One can see why with terrible free agent and trade acquisitions and some of the worst drafting in the league between 2003-2008. This leads me to the current Panthers team. In 2010, Dale Tallon came aboard. In three drafts since that time, the Panthers have had a whopping 5 first round picks. Of those 5 first round picks, 2 have been top-5 picks, and those top-5 pics were taken 1-2 seasons ago. It looks likely that the Panthers could end up with another top-5 pick this season. If things stay as they are right now, the Panthers could expect a top-5 pick, bringing their total in the Tallon 4 drafts (at that point) up to 6 first round picks, 3 of which would be top-5's. What does this mean? Well, there are a lot of variables that are involved, but, at a simplistic level we likely have about 2-4 seasons before the Panthers will need to start making player moves via trade and free agent signings to fill out this roster and take its run in roughly 2015-16, when Gudbranson is 6 seasons in (post 2010 draft that is). Of course, the average number of seasons post draft from the first top-5 pick is actually more towards 4 seasons or so, meaning more along the lines of the 2014-15 season. Success sometime around the 2014-15 season would follow the model established by the Kings, Bruins, Hawks, and Ducks, and be one year faster than Penguins. What this tells us as fans is that we should hold off on requesting notable free agent signings or big trades for another season, but that we should expect just those things in the summer of 2014. And if you look at the capgeek numbers, we only have 9 players signed beyond the end of that summer. The names of those nine players include Flash, Versteeg, Huberdeau, Shore, Kopecky, Campbell, and Jovo (I think we can safely assume he will be gone by then taking that number down to 8 and possibly Upshall, taking that number down to 7). Further, Gudbranson and Kulikov will be RFA's heading into that summer season. It would appear that the handwriting is on the wall that this team is in good hands with Tallon and Santos, and that they are following a well-established model for success. As painful as this season is, it should provide us a third top-5 pick within the time period prior champions have used to turn a team around in. So a little more patience, all the clues are there that 2014-15 and beyond will see the rise of the Panthers.

FanPost: Why Panthers' Weiss is calling it a season

2013-03-07T02:07:30Z

First and foremost: I'm not a doctor. Far from it. That being said, I've done a little research into the condition that Stephen Weiss described during the media conference call today.

Assuming total honesty on Weiss's part I've come to believe that he is most likely suffering from a condition known as Positive Ulnar Variation. If one were to hold their hand out, palm facing inward, the thumbs up bone is the Radius and the pinky down side is the Ulna. From that position, rotate your thumb outward (if you have your right hand outstretched turn your thumb to the right) 90 degrees to end up with your palm facing up. The condition that Weiss is probably suffering from causes one's hand to angle outward (again, if you're presenting your right hand, point your middle finger further to the right, a little at first then as far as you can) more than is natural. Try holding your hand in that palm up and outward point position for a few seconds. Maybe 10 or 15 seconds. It gets kind of uncomfortable quickly. Now imagine you're physically unable to return your hand - and the muscles and tendons that move it - back to their natural, relaxed, position. Could you hold that pose for a over a year? I'm pretty sure I couldn't.

I've been quite vocal with my criticism of Stephen "The Guy We All Wanted To Be Captain Eight Weeks Ago" Weiss's play this season but give this new information I kinda feel like a jerk.

First and foremost: I'm not a doctor. Far from it. That being said, I've done a little research into the condition that Stephen Weiss described during the media conference call today.

I've been quite vocal with my criticism of Stephen "The Guy We All Wanted To Be Captain Eight Weeks Ago" Weiss's play this season but give this new information I kinda feel like a jerk.

Video: Matthias, Huberdeau Net Stunners For Panthers vs Jets

2013-03-07T00:39:01Z

Panthers center/wing/whatever-the-need-may-be Shawn Matthias turned Winnipeg goaltender Ondrej Pavelec inside out with this nifty even-strength number in the second frame of a 4-1 Florida victory from Sunrise on March 5, 2013. Assisting on Danger's fifth of the year were D Colby Robak (his first NHL point) and F Tomas Fleischmann.

Not to be forgotten: Jonathan Huberdeau scored some five minutes later when a breakaway hooking penalty was assessed to Jets D Dustin Byfuglien, leading to Huby's second penalty shot marker of his short pro career:

Poll

Regarding Matty: did you believe the Wings' second-round selection from 2006 had that type of offensive magic in him?

Yes

28 votes

No

15 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed

Video: Panthers Rookies Huberdeau, Shore Appear Before Fans Somewhat Recently

2013-03-05T05:13:05Z

First-year Panthers Drew Shore and Jonathan Huberdeau humble up to the mic at Duffy's Sports Grill in Plantation on February 19, 2013. Longtime former Cat and current FS-Florida color guy Bill Lindsay served as host for the evening. And yeah...we recognize a few of you in the crowd :) Video courtesy of the club.

FanPost: Panthers' "Club Red" - What It Is, What It Isn't, And What It Could Be

2013-03-01T07:16:05Z

via www.clubred360.com

I have been thinking about Club Red and the impact that this addition to the BB&T Center has had on all aspects of the Florida Panthers, business-wise, fan-wise, and perception wise. If you don’t know what Club Red is, it is a brand new addition to the BB&T Center that encompasses three prime sections in the center and the most prominent seating for hockey. Sunrise Sports and Entertainment (SSE), the Panthers’ parent company, has followed the trend of other professional sports teams in all sports leagues to include a club of some sort in their stadiums and arenas. Club Red offers several amenities tailored to the customers with a high amount of disposable income that are not completely offered in other areas of the arena. These perks include all-you-can-eat food, valet parking, a lounge full of HDTVs, an open bar, a balcony that overlooks center ice where the patron’s seats are located and much more detailed here at the official Club Red website. One must admit that is a lot of wonderful things to have and SSE are dedicated in trying to make this section THE place to be in South Florida for entertainment and has given higher-income consumers a reason to go to the BB&T Center. Judging by the reactions of patrons that have had the privilege of sitting there it is indeed succeeding in some aspect. However Club Red is failing in others.

via instagram.com/juliet_mia_mi

First off there is the perception that Club Red makes Florida Panthers home games look emptier than what is being reported in their attendance reports. So far through eleven home games in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, the Panthers have averaged 17,097 people in announced attendance. However despite the benefits that Club Red offers, the true attendance at the BB&T Center is well below what is announced. By true attendance I mean the amount of people that actually show up and sit in their seats. There are several issues going on. Club Red members that attend the game are mostly not watching the game from their seats but rather inside the lounge stuffing their faces with food and watching on the HDTVs. Others are corporate seat holders that have bought Club Red memberships that have chosen not to attend. The rest are unsold memberships. SSE COO and president, Michael Yormark, has stated that the organization has sold seventy percent of the Club. That means that thirty percent of the seats are empty. These circumstances have caused other people outside of South Florida to perceive that the Panthers and hockey in general is not a draw in South Florida. Why is this? Well the television camera that is primarily used in capturing the in-game action is looking right at Club Red in center ice and with how empty it is so far it is safe for others to assume that people do not like hockey in South Florida.

For some perspective here is what fans on the other side and those watching on TV are treated to. This is from a Panthers vs. Maple Leafs game on February 18, 2013 in which the announced attendance was 17,177.

Photo courtesy of Murphy Burch

The next big, and I believe most important, thing that Club Red, and SSE in general, are failing at is harboring support and creating a culture of good with their fans. In the 2011-12 season the Florida Panthers ended a decade long playoff drought by winning their first ever division championship. Throughout that season the Florida Panthers made a number of moves that gave fans renewed hope and a sense of pride and connection in the franchise that had not been seen since the Cats left Miami Arena in the late 1990s. Dale Tallon’s blueprint briefly sped ahead by producing a winning club; the team did a rink tour around South Florida that showed that the Cats do have tons of support in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties; they also returned the team’s primary color back to red as a form of reverting back to the successful formative years of the franchise. All seemed well on the fan and hockey side but yet the business side had already announced their plans for Club Red and lobbied Broward County for taxpayer money to make it happen which would eventually occur. Longtime fans had foreseen the scenario that is going on right now and most of those that had once called center ice their seats going back years and years are now found displaced and unappreciated. Some could not afford the massive hike in price for membership to Club Red which for Panthers full season tickets went from $2500 before it was installed, to the max of $16,500 now. Others could afford these tickets but refused to retain their seats purely out of principle. Bringing in new fans is a fine thing to strive for but not at the expense of those that came before especially for the Panthers fans who managed to keep the team afloat and still firmly planted in Sunrise rather than the unfortunate occurrence that caused the Atlanta Thrashers to become the Winnipeg Jets. The impact that Club Red has caused to the game atmosphere at the BB&T Center is also negative. Cheering is not as loud, the wave ends immediately at Club Red, no hats are thrown after hat tricks, and less rats land on the ice after victory. Many fans feel that Club Red is like placing a black hole in the arena. When opposing fans visit or watch on TV it is extremely embarrassing to be associated with those scores of glaring, empty, red seats. I am not sure how Panthers players and hockey operations personnel view it but it must feel pretty bad to look behind your home bench and see nothing but rows of empty red seats that say "Zimmerman Advertising" especially since in 2012 Cats fans were there showing that hockey definitely can and does work down here.

Here is a video comparison of the difference between the two sides of the BB&T Center during that same Panthers-Leafs game, the left side includes Club Red, the right is just the normal lower bowl.

Video Courtesy of @nathalieice

So where do we go from here? According to Michael Yormark, all the remarks he is receiving about Club Red have been positive. The team holds fan forums and town hall meetings every now and then to receive insight on how to improve the BB&T Center experience but judging from the remarks of Yormark, Club Red is here to stay. But maybe there is a way to salvage it and return some semblance of respectability to the Florida Panthers perception. Currently Club Red offers three different plans, non-hockey events only, hockey only, and all hockey and events. I do not believe that Club Red will sell out for patrons who have chosen the options that include hockey. I believe the next best step is to create different membership levels. I propose three levels that could be used to offer the perks Club Red currently offers and make good with the fans that were displaced from their old seats. The highest level includes everything Club Red currently offers. The next level is a make-up plan for fans displaced by Club Red initially and for those who do not want all the Club has to offer. This second tier plan, which is a hockey only option, would not include valet parking, private concierge, or the ability to partake in the all-you-can-eat section. I believe this plan offered at a lesser price would go a long way in repairing fan support. The lowest plan is one that is currently being tried at Marlins Park. They have a club in left field that is a satellite operation of the famed Clevelander Hotel and nightclub on South Beach. Fans there have the option of purchasing a ticket to sit in left field at field level or choose to have standing room only tickets (I believe limited to 50 or 100 people) and hang out at the open bar and pool while still viewing the game. This could allow people to enjoy the perks of Club Red at the game while not taking up a center ice seat they were not going to sit in anyways thus freeing up that seat for a person who would more likely sit there. This final plan thus would allow people or organizations to enjoy the lounge, bar, balcony, food, etc. of Club Red and raise the attendance of the fans in the lower bowl.

Back when the center ice seats were last filled.

via www.foxsportsflorida.com

So is Club Red a bad idea? Not entirely so but its execution has been a disaster from the hockey front. However SSE has an opportunity to improve it and possibly make it better than it already is which would greatly benefit from coinciding with an improved Panthers team in the coming seasons and a possible casino expansion to the BB&T Center’s surrounding area. Some small tweaks to the options and pricing could bring more fans in, more fans in the seats and a much livelier atmosphere in the arena. If not then we could be looking at a scenario in which we may have a really good Panther team in the next several seasons and no fans literally behind them.

via www.clubred360.com

via instagram.com/juliet_mia_mi

Photo courtesy of Murphy Burch

Here is a video comparison of the difference between the two sides of the BB&T Center during that same Panthers-Leafs game, the left side includes Club Red, the right is just the normal lower bowl.

Video Courtesy of @nathalieice

Back when the center ice seats were last filled.

via www.foxsportsflorida.com

Poll

Can Club Red be salvaged?

Yes, there is room for improvement

23 votes

No, tear it down

59 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

Who would you Buyout?

2013-02-22T18:25:20Z

As we all know each team is permited two compliance Buyouts over the next two years. i am going by to each team and asking fans what two players they would use the buyouts for so that we can get a picture of what some possible FAs will be available in the next few years. Obviously the first two casualties are Scott Gomez and Wade Redden. Who would you pick from your team to buy out?

Video: Panthers' Huberdeau Dances On Bryzgalov In 5-2 Florida Victory

2013-02-22T04:00:22Z

Sandwiched within a four-point single-game effort against Philadelphia, Panthers rookie forward Jonathan Huberdeau created the remarkable visual artwork seen above on a penalty shot against Philly starter Ilya Bryzgalov in a 5-2 Florida victory over the Flyers, February 21, 2013. Full LBC recap here.

LBC Email Hacked Early Wednesday Morning

2013-02-20T14:21:07Z

My most sincere apology to anyone who may have clicked the link in an email dispatched from pantherslitterbox (at) yahoo (dot) com this morning; yes it was indeed the work of a hacker and evidently many if not all in our 1,200+ contact list likely received it.

I was able to change our password at around 8:30 a.m. which hopefully curtailed further spam from reaching anyone else. As well, I can presently receive email at that address but cannot send until an automatic "waiting period" has passed. For the moment the best way to reach me - either to bash me with expletives or otherwise - is via Twitter or Facebook; both accounts are listed on the LBC main page in the righthand sidebar.

Again, very sorry about this.