November 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Alan Cohen's days as majority owner of the Panthers are numbered, as two partners in his ownership group are expected to take control of the team, sources said. Panthers Vice Chairman Cliff Viner and Managing Director Stu Siegel, both Boca Raton businessmen, have reached agreement to buy as much as half of Cohen's approximately 43 percent share of the team, a source said. They will become co-general partners, other sources said. The agreement has not been signed but is expected to be announced next week. Cohen is to retain a stake but will no longer be making team decisions. Panthers fans are desperate for change. The team has not made the playoffs since 2000, the longest playoff drought ..."
November 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Florida Panthers winger David Booth said Thursday he expects to start exercising in the next day or two, though doctors won't allow him to do anything more strenuous than about 10 minutes on a bike. Booth has been restricted from physical activity since suffering his first-ever concussion Oct. 24 during a game against the Flyers in Philadelphia. He said he has gone for walks and relaxed in the pool. "You start to get anxious when you haven't done anything for so long," Booth said. "This is the longest I've ever gone without doing anything. I don't like it, but it is part of the process and you have to stick with the program." Booth said Thursday he felt much better than the days ..."
October 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers' forward David Booth spent Saturday night at a local hospital after receiving a vicious hit to the head late in the second period of Saturday night's 5-1 loss to the Flyers at Wachovia Center. The extent of Booth's injury wasn't known after the game. Panthers' general manager Randy Sexton, who spoke briefly to the doctor who treated Booth at Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia, said it appeared Booth suffered a concussion, but that he was conscious when he was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and could move his extremities. Assistant team trainer Steve Dischiavi, who rode in the ambulance with Booth, stayed with him at the hospital while the team flew home. "They did some ..."
October 5
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Panthers have agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract with free agent center Dominic Moore. The signing is expected to be announced by the team Monday. "He's really excited about it," said Moore's agent, Larry Kelly, who also represents Panthers defenseman Bryan Allen. "He thinks it's a huge opportunity to play for [Coach] Peter DeBoer. DeBoer is one of the brighter guys in the game. It's a perfect fit for Dom." The Panthers declined comment Sunday. Kelly said he had been talking with about four teams, including the Panthers, for the past two months, and that DeBoer was a "critical aspect" to Moore's decision. "These guys will be kindred spirits," Kelly said. "They'll be able to ..."
October 3
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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After four months of handling the Panthers' general manager duties, Randy Sexton was officially given that job Friday. The team removed "assistant" from Sexton's title after a few days spent on the details of his contract — terms of which were not released. "I had the opportunity to audition for the job, but quite frankly I didn't spend one second worried about what was right for me," said Sexton, who was the Senators' general manager, president and chief executive officer from 1988-96. "I thought if I worked hard and did a good job that the results would speak for themselves and I think the results have spoken for themselves.""
September 14
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Panthers are close to signing free-agent defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and a deal is imminent, an NHL source said Sunday. According to the source, the team and Seidenberg's agent, J.P. Barry, have been feverishly negotiating and have agreed to a one-year contract. They just need to settle on salary before the contract is finalized, which could happen as early as today. Seidenberg's signing would be a boon for the Panthers. The 28-year-old German is coming off the best season of his career, scoring five goals and 30 points in 70 games while averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time for the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers have been looking to add another experienced blue-liner to ..."
July 14
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Panthers are one of five or six teams in the mix to sign free-agent winger Alex Tanguay, his agent said Monday. "They're one of the teams we've talked to, but that's about all I can say," Tanguay's agent, Robert Sauve, said. He added that he has received "a few offers," but wouldn't say whether one of those was from Florida. Panthers assistant General Manager Randy Sexton wouldn't comment on Tanguay when asked last week, noting only that "we're constantly looking to improve our team." Tanguay, 29, had 16 goals and 25 assists in 50 games with the Canadiens last season. He made $5.375 million, with a salary cap hit of $5.25 million, but is expected to take a pay cut. The Senators, Stars, ..."
June 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers assistant general manager Randy Sexton said late Thursday afternoon there are "still four teams in the hunt" to acquire exclusive negotiating right to defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who will soon become unrestricted free agent. Sexton wouldn't identify the teams or discuss details of negotiations, but he didn't rule out a trade being made tonight. Asked if he felt a need to get a deal done before the end of this week's draft in Montreal, Sexton said " We don't set timetables; we don't set timeframes. We have a plan and we work at it until we get what's best for our franchise. " Sexton also said he expects to meet with leading scored David Booth's agent in the next 48 hours to further ..."
June 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Panthers have made a big splash at the NHL Draft with blockbuster trades the past three years. If they have their way, they will do so again this week with the draft Friday and Saturday in Montreal. Panthers Assistant General Manager Randy Sexton and alternate governor Bill Torrey have been on the phone with the league's general managers hoping to deal exclusive negotiating rights to Jay Bouwmeester before the All-Star defenseman leaves the team without compensation as an unrestricted free agent July 1. The Panthers, who hold the No. 14 pick in this year's draft, have made trades at the draft throughout this decade, starting with the acquisition of two of the future faces of their ..."
June 19
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers alternate governor Bill Torrey said Thursday that he has started interviewing candidates for the Panthers' general manager job and plans to meet with as many more "as possible" at next week's draft in Montreal. Torrey, heading the search for Jacques Martin's successor, said he received inquiries from more than 60 candidates and spent the previous two days conducting interviews in Toronto. He'll return to Toronto on Monday for a Hockey Hall of Fame board meeting, then head to Montreal, where he'll attend the NHL's Board of Governor's meeting Wednesday before the draft Friday and Saturday. First, Torrey said he expects to be on the phone this weekend with general managers as he and ..."
April 24
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers General Manager Jacques Martin said Thursday "you've got room" for both Tomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson on next season's roster. The consensus has been that the Panthers probably will lose one of those two goalies, likely Anderson because Vokoun has a no-trade clause in his contract and Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and is expected to multiply his $575,000 salary from this past season. Asked in a phone interview Thursday if it was financially feasible to keep both, Martin noted, "In the past it has never been an issue." Before the Panthers traded for Vokoun and Anderson at the 2006 draft, Ed Belfour and Alex Auld shared goaltending duties — but neither had a ..."
March 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Injured Panthers' forward Nathan Horton likely will return to the lineup Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Horton, who missed his sixth consecutive game Saturday recovering from surgery on his left ring finger, skated with the team in the morning and practiced on the top power-play unit. Horton then went to see a doctor about his finger. "I'm not going to be shooting as many pucks, but it doesn't feel too bad," he said before leaving BankAtlantic Center. The opponent Monday is an important reason why Horton wants to return before the team leaves for its three-game trip. "That's definitely going to be a big game. We're all looking forward to that game." Coach Pete DeBoer said it's ..."
March 15
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Steve Gorten
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Along with the Flyers, the Canucks made the most serious push to get Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester before Wednesday's trade deadline. Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis was willing to give up winger Mason Raymond and a first-round pick, the Vancouver Province reported, but when Panthers GM Jacques Martin made it clear he wanted either defensemen Kevin Bieksa or Alex Elder, a potential deal was dead. "I asked him what he needed in return, and he told me and it was undoable," Gillis told the Province. So unlike their Northwest Division rival Flames, the Canucks didn't make a big splash before the deadline, despite nearly $3 million in salary-cap space. Their big move was signing ..."
March 12
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Buffalo, N.Y. - It's been nine years since the Panthers made the postseason, so the organization wants to ensure BankAtlantic Center is full if the team makes the playoffs next month. That's why it is discounting playoff tickets for season-ticket holders. Playoff tickets for individual-ticket buyers will be 10 percent more than the regular-season gate price for non-premium games. Season-ticket holders who have already renewed their seats for the 2009-10 season will pay the same for playoff tickets they paid in the regular season. They can also buy extra tickets for 25 percent off the playoff gate price. Season-ticket holders who have not yet renewed can buy tickets at 25 percent off the ..."
March 2
Globe and Mail
columnist Eric Duhatschek
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This is how the sands can shift in the ridiculously close NHL standings, with the trading deadline less than 72 hours away: At the all-star break, during the final week of January, it looked as though the only bona fide seller in the Western Conference would be the 15th-place St. Louis Blues, a team undermined for much of the season by injuries, limited scoring and so-so goaltending. The Blues featured at least one tradable commodity - left winger/centre Keith Tkachuk - who would be of some interest to a contender. Every week, a new version of the Tkachuk to the Boston Bruins rumour made the rounds. In the meantime, the Blues quietly chipped away at the gap between them and eighth place. ..."