Published: The Florida Panthers (NHL)

The Florida Panthers (NHL) Sept. 17, 2011

By Stefanie Hew, University of Miami

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Excitement buzzed off the ice and through the crowd at the

Saveology.com Iceplex in Coral Springs, Fla. at as the Panthers hit the ice for the first time at 

their 2011 training camp.

Cones set. Skate on. Coaches paced the ice, clipboards in hand constantly evaluating as players 

demonstrated speed, skill and endurance. 

Fans of all ages and player families surrounded the rink eagerly watching, itching with 

anticipation for the new season and players.

Michael Yormark, SSE’s President & COO was watching amongst the fans, just as excited and 

enthusiastic about the coming season.

“Very, very excited, obviously a big buzz in the air. Very optimistic - this is our season. I really 

feel if we are healthy and the team comes together and develops good chemistry this can be a 

very, very successful campaign for us,” said Yormark. “It’s so great to see all these fans out here 

today.  They have been winning all summer especially since July 1st after Dale acquired so 

many players. So, a great buzz in the air, lots of excitement. It’s a great day to be a Panther fan.”

After practice Kris Versteeg talked about joining the Panthers.

“It feels good to be here with a lot of old and new faces. I think the chemistry on the ice, a lot of 

the time is the biggest part of the game,” said Versteeg. “We all know what it takes to play the 

game and play the system game. Now it’s all about coming together, you know as one.