Florida Panthers Hockey at Amerant Bank Arena

Ice, rats and championship banners in the subtropics

⏱ 3 hours👤 All ages$$$

The team arrived in 1993 and spent years as an afterthought before a run of deep playoff seasons turned Sunrise into a hockey town. The plastic-rat tradition dates to the 1990s, when a player killed a rat in the dressing room and scored twice that night; fans have thrown toy rats onto the ice after big goals ever since. The championship banners are now the backdrop, and Sunrise has become the sport's spring address: the arena hosted Stanley Cup Final games three years running, in 2023, 2024 and 2025, with the Panthers winning the last two.

Practicalities: the arena, at 1 Panther Parkway, opened in 1998 and has worn a string of sponsor names, from the National Car Rental Center to the BB&T Center and FLA Live Arena, so older directions may use any of them. It seats a little over nineteen thousand for hockey and sits in Sunrise, near the Sawgrass Expressway and Interstate 595, so plan on driving or a rideshare from the beach and allowing extra time on game nights. Parking is on site. Seats in the upper bowl give a good view of the whole rink at a fraction of glass prices, and the lower corners are the best compromise for families who want to be close. The team publishes theme nights and giveaways at the start of each season. Between home games the building books major concerts and UFC cards, and it has staged two NHL All-Star Games, including the 2003 edition that introduced the league's first official shootout.

Pairing: make it a west-county day with Sawgrass Mills shopping in the afternoon or Flamingo Gardens and Butterfly World earlier on, then dinner near the arena. Visitors from cold climates often find a Florida hockey game a funny, memorable contrast to a day on the beach. The rink keeps the bowl cool, so bring a light layer even when it is ninety degrees outside.