Reilly Smith mocks Panthers abysmal attendance amid possible crowd ban

Reilly Smith saw an opportunity to troll the Florida Panthers and their fans on Wednesday while talking about the NHL’s coronavirus plans.

The Florida Panthers attendance woes have been well documented over the years. The team, established in 1993, has always had a rough go with attendance over the course of their history, and is currently polling in at third-worst in average attendance this season with just over an average of 14,100 attendees, according to ESPN.

Former Panther Reilly Smith, who now plays with the Vegas Golden Knights, did not pass up his opportunity to dunk on Florida’s attendance on Wednesday.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL is considering playing games in empty arenas for the safety of fans. When asked about practicing in front of empty stands due to the coronavirus scare, Smith did not hold back in his response: “I played in an empty building for a couple years in Florida so I’m used to it.”

Smith played two full seasons with the Panthers during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons where he had 87 points in 162 games played. Florida’s last playoff games were played during Smith’s first season with the team, which ended in a first round exit to the New York Islanders.

The dig, of course, did not go unnoticed on social media, who took absolute pleasure in roasting the Panthers themselves.

https://twitter.com/FatsSundin/status/1237796167523561472

https://twitter.com/KanerRocket17/status/1237797311692103681

The Panthers and their attendance woes are perennial punching bags for hockey fans, and this comment from Smith only added fuel to that fire. Hockey fans have long memories for slights like this, though Panthers fans will have to wait until the 2020-21 season to get revenge, as the two teams will not play each other again until next season.

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