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FLORIDA TO OPEN CAMP IN PORT HAWKESBURY
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SUNRISE, FL, May 18, 2009 – The Florida Panthers has announced that the National Hockey League team will open it's 2009 training camp in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia on Saturday, September 12 and will play a preseason game against the Ottawa Senators at the Halifax Metro Centre on Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm ADT.
Florida Panthers General Manager Jacques Martin and Bluenose League President Ralston MacDonnell made the announcement in Halifax. The deal calls for the Panthers to open training camp in Nova Scotia for the next three years (2009, 2010, 2011) but is open-ended in that either party can terminate the deal early.
“We are excited about the opportunity to open our training camp in Port Hawkesbury and to play an exhibition game in Halifax,” said Martin. “This is an ideal situation because it gives our team the chance to train at a great facility and allows our players the opportunity to bond together early in training camp. At the same time, it will provide the residents of Port Hawkesbury and Halifax the chance to see NHL hockey in their hometown setting.”
Defenceman Franklin MacDonald of Baddeck is in the Panthers’ organization and played this season with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Another Cape Breton native, Paul Gallagher, serves as one of the team’s scouts.
Panthers players will report to training camp in South Florida for medical and fitness testing and arrive in Nova Scotia on Saturday, September 12. The first day of on-ice training will take place the following day on Sunday in Port Hawkesbury. A complete training camp schedule will be announced in the near future.
Florida’s training camp stay in Port Hawkesbury and the exhibition game in Halifax was made possible due to the combined efforts of the Panthers and the Bluenose League. The mission of the Bluenose League is to position the Maritimes as the home of NHL pre-season hockey. Bluenose League works with communities, teams, the NHL, major event venues, sponsors and other stakeholders to establish a viable sport hosting scenario that provides a unique entertainment and cultural experience in the region.
“The spin-off will be tremendous, I think to date, there’s 100 rooms booked and we had the announcement (Friday) afternoon,” said Port Hawkesbury mayor Billy Joe MacLean, who was in Halifax for the announcement. “Every available hotel room will be full, the restaurants, Tim Hortons and the bars will be busy. In the four days they’ll be here, there will be well over $1 million spent in the community.”
Panthers fans who are interested in attending the Panthers first pre-season game in Halifax can log onto www.Ticketatlantic.com or call the Ticket Atlantic box office at (902) 451-1221.
- with files from the panthers.nhl.com and capebretonpost.com
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Thursday, September 9, 2010