Sunrise, Florida
🏒 Florida Panthers

At the edge of the Everglades sits the largest indoor sports venue in the state of Florida, the nearly 20,000-seat Amerant Bank Arena. The building has been the home of the Florida Panthers since its construction, a fortress which the NHL’s southernmost team has fought for and defended since 1998.

Having undergone many name changes since its inception, the venue entered into an agreement to become Amerant Bank Arena in 2023. The rink is situated near a large mall in the far-flung South Florida suburb of Sunrise, about a half hour from Fort Lauderdale and an hour north of Miami.

Although the surrounding environment is mostly a parking lot, the arena’s main entrance boasts an enormous courtyard that comes alive on gamedays. Pre-game festivities and activations cover the area, including a drum line, skill challenges and even food trucks. Inside, spacious food courts on both sides of the upper and lower levels present many concession options. Among them are outposts of popular chains like Playa Bowls and Stoner’s Pizza, as well as a few bars and alcohol stands such as Skrewball and the Jameson Crossbar Club.

While there isn’t much to the venue architecturally, large glass windows on the second level do allow brilliant Florida sunshine to soak the concourse and offer vistas across the vast swamp which stretches endlessly to the west.

Three decades of Panthers history are on display on the main level, with exhibits showcasing pucks from milestone games and jerseys of team greats like Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo. Adjoining cases highlight some of the local youth hockey clubs that were formed and have grown in tandem with the Panthers. Detailed team murals also decorate the façades of the lower level bathrooms.

Despite a lengthy period of strife, the Panthers actually have quite a bit of success to reflect upon. Since their founding in 1993, the franchise has won 1 President’s Trophy, 4 conference championships and secured back-to-back Stanley Cup victories at home in 2024 and 2025. With those incredible wins, the Panthers certainly seem to be on the up, ensuring that the ice will remain and the game will continue to thrive here in their swampy territory.