Florida Panthers honor Fort Lauderdale airport victims (Video)

The Florida Panthers paid tribute to the victims of the Fort Lauderdale Airport shootings before Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators. 

A scary situation happened when a mass shooting occurred on Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Florida Panthers were affected, as their community got hurt. To honor the victims, they held a tribute video before Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The shootings took the Panthers by surprise. Especially defenseman Michael Matheson, who lives merely five minutes away from the airport.

“I think we’re a pretty strong community,” Matheson said, via NHL.com. “I’ve only been here for a little over a half year now and I think that everyone in South Florida is a tight-knit community. It’s tough to see something like that happen anywhere, but especially five minutes away from where I live.”

Matheson and his teammates also paid tribute in their own special way by putting “FLL” on their skates. Sometimes, sports is more than just a game. It’s a way for communities and people to escape the pains of everyday life. For a few hours, everything can be alright. Props to the Panthers for providing an escape for people who desperately needed it. Their courage should be applauded. It’s why Sunrise is slowly starting to embrace the Panthers.

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Florida is looking to rebound after a slow start to their season. They got a good start to this goal on Friday, beating the Predators 2-1 at home. James Reimer got an unexpected start in net, making 28 saves. They got goals from Greg McKegg and Jonathan Marchessault. Currently, the Panthers find themselves just three points out of a potential playoff spot. With the Toronto Maple Leafs surging though, it could be difficult. It’s certainly helping that the Philadelphia Flyers, who occupy the second wild card spot, are slumping. So are the Boston Bruins.