Florida Panthers Star Wars Nights and Other Events 2023-24

Panthers Star Wars Night 2023 is on January 19 when they take on the Minnesota Wild. Their season opener was a 2-0 loss against the Wild. 

Star Wars is an epic Space Opera created by George Lucas, the film has spawned many sequels and spinoffs since its original release in 1977. Star Wars Day has been celebrated unofficially since 2011 and officially observed by the Walt Disney Company since 2013.

As the trend of celebrating Star Wars Day steeped into popular culture,  corporations, sports leagues, and others were not going to be left behind in the celebration. NHL teams were no exceptions to this and many began dedicating a night in their season calendar as "Star Wars Night".

Star Wars Night has been a part of the Florida Panthers' promotional calendar since the mid-2010s. They played the Nashville Predators for their theme night last season which they lost 1-2. 

The theme night celebration generally features fans in costume, Star Wars characters walking the arena, a t-shirt giveaway included with the special ticket package, and much more. The T-shirt design for the giveaway this season has yet to be revealed by the team. 

Last season there was a special meet and greet included in the night's festivities and fans got the chance to interact and take pictures with their favourite characters. In 2019 fans got the chance to win a Darth Vader Helmet signed by the team. 

Although the details for this season's Star Wars Night have yet to be released fans can expect a T-shirt giveaway included in the special ticket package. The T-shirt giveaway has been an annual part of the theme night celebration for some years now.

Tickets for the "Star Wars Night" are available for purchase here. Ticket holders will be notified of the "t-shirt giveaway" and other amenities included in the package by the team as the theme night approaches. 

Florida Panthers Pride Night 2023-24 presented by Stoli Vodka is scheduled for January 13, 2024. The Panthers will be hosting the New Jersey Devils. 

"Pride Night" is a theme night celebrated by most NHL teams in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The first NHL team to begin the theme night celebration back in 2013 was the Florida Panthers.

The night primarily consisted of teams wearing specialty-designed pride-themed jerseys during the warmups. The jerseys would then be auctioned off and a portion of the profits would be donated to the team's local LGBTQ+ organizations in most cases.

Specialty sweaters for not just pride night but all theme nights were banned in the off-season by the NHL. They had also banned the usage of Pride tape which was later reversed by the league. 

The ban on Specialty Jerseys means that "on-ice player uniforms and gear worn in warmups, official team practices and games cannot be altered to reflect "specialty" theme nights."  according to the NHL.

This means we will most not be seeing a scene like last season when a majority of the Panthers donned the "Pride-themed jerseys designed by local artist Teepop". The fact that we will not be seeing specialty sweaters this season does not detract from their support of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Last season's Pride Night featured a ceremonial puck drop by Stuart Milk, Co-Founder and board President of the Harvey Milk Foundation. In case you were wondering he is related to the iconic civil rights leader Harvey Milk, who is Stuart's Uncle.

The night also honored U.S. coast guard and activist for LGBTQ+ veterans Mark LaFontaine as part of the "Panthers Heroes Among Us Program presented by CITY Furniture". There were "Complimentary Pride Scarves" handed out by Ford and "Pride Wristbands" handed out by CITY Furniture in the Arena. 

Black History Night 2023 of the Florida Panthers will be held on February 24, 2024. The Panthers will be taking on the Washington Capitals at 6 PM.

The Panthers celebrated Black History Month last season by launching their second annual "Celebration of Black Excellence series." The program recognized individuals that were deemed by their colleagues as "making an impact on South Florida and beyond"

The honored individuals' stories were published on their website and shared across their social media. They were also recognized in the team's "Black History Night" last season when they took on the Buffalo Sabres on February 24, 2023, which they lost 1-3. 

They had a Specialty Sweater designed by local Miami artist Keyani Watkins, who also works as the Creative Director of Grand Opening Gallery. The Jerseys were auctioned off by the team.

In 2020 the Florida Panthers hired Brett Peterson as their assistant General Manager, he was the first black executive to hold that role in the NHL. Peterson was hired as the first Black GM of the 2024 U.S. Men's national team on November 16, 2023. 

The Panthers have listed nine Black Players to play for them since the franchise's inception. Here is the list of the players and the seasons they played with the Panthers. 

• Kenndal McArdle | LW, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, drafted by the Panthers in 2005.
• Pokey Reddick | G, 1993-94, 2 games 
• Justin Sourdif | RW, 2022- present, drafted by the Panthers in 2020
• Givani Smith | RW, 2022-23, 34 games 
• Anthony Stewart | RW, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 
• Kevin Weekes | G, 1997-9, 11 games 
• Peter Worrell | LW, 1999-2000 to 2002-03
• Anthony Duclair | LW, 2020-21 to present 
• Craig Martin | RW, 1996-97, 1 game

Florida Panthers Events of 2023-24 are Halloween Night, Star Wars Night, Kids Day, Black History Night, Autism Acceptance Night, Margaritaville Night, and more.

The Florida Panthers Announced a total of 17 theme nights before the puck dropped for their 2023-24 season. This does not include three nights celebrating three decades of Panthers Hockey were additional events announced by the team. 

They most recently hosted their Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by Baptist Health Cancer Care on November 20. They played the Edmonton Oilers which they won 5-3. 

The win over the Oilers was not the only highlight of the night, the Panthers donated a total of $50,000 to Baptist Health Cancer Care in support of Cancer research and awareness. US Navy Veteran and breast cancer survivor Davida Nelum was honored as part of their 'Heros Among Us' program. 

December 2 is the day to visit the Amerant Bank Arena for you if you love Beers and Cowboys as the Panthers will be hosting their bi-annual 'Pucks & Pints' festival presented by Funky Buddha Brewery. The Beerfest will run from 2:30 to 4:30 PM and after that, it's "Cats & Cowboys night" as they take on the Islanders at 6:00 PM. 

The Panthers begin their 2024 with 90s Night on January 11 as they take on the Los Angeles Kings followed by Pride Night on January 13. March 9 is Kids Day at the Amerant Bank Arena as the Cats host the Calgary Flames at 4:00 PM.

Panthers Fans will want to go ahead and mark their calendars for April 13, as the team will be hosting their "Fan Appreciation Night" on that date. They will compete against the Buffalo Sabres. 

Here is the list of the promotional; events hosted by the Panthers following the 2023-24 season: