Litter Box Cats, a Florida Panthers community

Former Panthers general partner takes helm of largest independent hockey scouting organization.

Another terrific post from Murphy at the official site: "(Florida's ownership has) begun to deliver on the promises they made back in November, and as a Panthers fan, I could not be any happier about it. They have brought in a blue-chip General Manager, and it appears that they are going to give him the increased budget with which to turn the ship around. It’s been a long time, a very long time, and the people who show up each night to cheer for the Panthers deserve a winner. Dale Tallon could be just the guy to make that happen."

Greg at PD nabs a nice interview with incoming owner Stu Siegel: Wyshynski: If someone says, "Florida is another Phoenix," what do you say to that? Siegel: Absolutely not. It's not even a good comparison at all. Lots more at the link above, and big thanks to Alterego6487 for the heads-up.

From your new Panthers Overlords: As fans, you will always know where we stand as an organization. We will be accessible to you, and will give you as much information as possible about our hockey club. We will communicate with you, through the media, through letters like this one, through blogs and face-to-face at games and town hall meetings.

From The Puck Stops Here, via Kukla's Korner: Alan Cohen was tired of paying for Florida Panthers losses and he decided to get out. He is leaving the team to his major partners in his 2001 purchase (Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel). Probably the deal is not for a significant amount of money. It is Cohen getting out and leaving things to the partners that remain. The partners have little choice but the either buy him out and assume any losses on the team or to give up their ownership and lose any equity they have in the Florida Panthers. These men are both Florida businessmen who probably never had any desire to be more than minority partners in a local ownership group of an NHL team. With the majority partner departing, they are forced to accept a bigger role than they ever wanted in an effort to not "lose their shirt" in this investment. This is remarkably similar to what happened with the Phoenix Coyotes.