Florida Panthers Purchase By New Yorkers "Imminent" Per NY Post

According to the New York Post, the sale of the Florida Panthers to a New York buyer is "imminent". The report comes as a surprise to most, as the team has never announced it was for sale, however with losses piling up, perhaps owners received an offer they couldn't refuse...

By Ryan Yousefi

September 18, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

According to the New York Post, the sale of the Florida Panthers to a New York buyer is "imminent". The report comes as a surprise to most, as the team has never announced it was for sale, however with losses piling up, perhaps owners received an offer they couldn't refuse.

The NHL has a history of finding buyers for teams losing money, having just over the past few years helped find new owners for the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Phoenix Coyotes. In addition the league has moved the Atlanta team to Winnipeg, where it has been a huge success. In addition to having one of the best stadium leases in the league, the Panthers have the support of the NHL, which has expresed its dedication to the South Florida market in the past, so any mention of relocation would be extremely surprising.

Last year Forbes valued the Florida Panthers at $170 million, 24th in the NHL. By comparison the NHL's most valuable team is the Toronto Maple Leafs, valued at $1 billion. No mention of price or buyer are mentioned in the report, but after losing out on the Versace mansion, let's just all hope it's not Donald Trump.

UPDATE: Per Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, a source has told him the mystery buyer is New York businessman Vincent Viola.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Miami New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Ryan Yousefi, a sports journalist and MBA holder in business healthcare management, has been a dedicated weekly contributor to the Miami New Times since 2013. Beyond his sports journalism career, he's held leadership roles in web3 gaming companies. He enjoys southeast Asia travel, pho, and whiskey, but most of all, being Lincoln's dad.

Contact: Ryan Yousefi

Follow:

Twitter: @rizzmiggiz