Panthers cancel public championship ring ceremony, citing concerns over Hurricane Milton

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers have canceled plans to receive their Stanley Cup championship rings at a public event Monday night, doing so out of concerns about Hurricane Milton as it bears down on the state.

Fans had been invited to attend the event for a $20 donation that would have benefited the team's foundation, the United Negro College Fund and the United Way. Players will now receive their rings in a private ceremony on Monday, the team said.

For now, the Panthers’ opening regular-season game — and Stanley Cup banner unveiling — against the Boston Bruins is scheduled to go on as planned on Tuesday night in Sunrise.

“As this event would take resources from first responders and service providers, we have made the tough decision to cancel our Champions Ring Ceremony out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all involved," Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell said Sunday night. “We will instead distribute our championship rings privately.”

Milton intensified Sunday and forecasters expect it will become a major hurricane, one that could approach the Tampa Bay area on the state's Gulf coast by Wednesday. Much of that side of the state is still dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties in Florida — including Broward, where the Panthers play, along with neighboring Miami-Dade to the south and Palm Beach to the north.

DeSantis said the state is bracing for “a major disaster” in some areas.

The Panthers said they will remain in contact with state and local authorities while going ahead with plans to open the season on Tuesday.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” Caldwell said, adding that the team “will continue preparing our arena and surrounding areas to safely welcome guests” for the opener.

Lightning preseason finale off, again

The Tampa Bay Lightning's preseason schedule ended earlier than expected, with the team canceling its home exhibition finale against the Nashville Predators because of ongoing preparations in the region for Milton's arrival.

It was the second time this Lightning-Predators game was called off. The teams were scheduled to play Sept. 27, only to have that moved to Monday because of the effects of Helene.

This time, it will not be rescheduled. Tampa Bay opens its regular season Friday at Carolina.

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