Litter Box Cats, a Florida Panthers community

From Kevin McGran: "Everyone in the world saw what happened (with the Miami Heat)," says (Stephen) Weiss, a product of the Toronto Young Nationals minor hockey program and the longest serving member of the attendance-challenged Florida Panthers. "I definitely knew it would be tough for us to compete with that." More above...and it's not the expected Toronto small-market beat-down.

Bolts GM Steve Yzerman via NHL.com: "The Everblades and their management have demonstrated a strong commitment to success by guiding their team to the playoffs in each of their 12 seasons in existence. That is exactly the type of winning environment we feel our players should develop in. Couple that with their proximity to Tampa and there really isn't a better option for us." In the end, having the Panthers walk away from Estero is not that devastating a blow. How many players were assigned there last season...three?

From Sportsnet's Mark Spector: Remember when both Florida teams were gong shows? Well, with Steve Yzerman in Tampa and Dale Tallon taking over (...) in Florida, those days are gone. "Tampa Bay was a team I was more than willing to waive my no-trade for," (Simon) Gagne said. "I really like the direction the team is headed in with a solid owner, Yzerman as GM and coach (Guy) Boucher." When is the last time you heard a player say THAT about the Lightning? Give Tallon some time in Florida, and they'll be talking that way about the Panthers as well. Sayeth George Takei: "Ohhhh, my." More at the link above.