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Florida Panthers launch girls’ travel hockey program in Coral Springs. What to know

By Produced using AI, based on original work by Allison Beck
The Florida Panthers announced plans for a girls travel hockey program that will begin play in the fall out of the team’s current (Coral Springs) and former (Fort Lauderdale) practice facilities.
The Florida Panthers announced plans for a girls travel hockey program that will begin play in the fall out of the team’s current (Coral Springs) and former (Fort Lauderdale) practice facilities. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com

The Florida Panthers are bringing a Tier II girls’ travel hockey program to South Florida, with operations at facilities in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale starting this fall.

The program builds on the Junior Lucky Pucks, an all-girls team founded after its creator received death threats over sexism in hockey.

FULL STORY: Girls’ travel hockey coming to Coral Springs. How Florida Panthers played a role

Fans at the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale react as the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to win the 2025 Stanley Cup title. The Panthers on Monday announced plans for a girls travel hockey program that will begin play out of the team’s current and former practice facilities starting in the fall.
Fans at the Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale react as the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to win the 2025 Stanley Cup title. The Panthers on Monday announced plans for a girls travel hockey program that will begin play out of the team’s current and former practice facilities starting in the fall. Joe Readle Getty Images

Here are key takeaways:

  • The Panthers announced the Tier II (A & AA) girls’ travel hockey program will operate out of the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.
  • The program takes over the Junior Lucky Pucks, an all-girls team founded by Madison Eckler after she received death threats from a member of her team. She also started a nonprofit to fight sexism in hockey.
  • The team was originally supposed to be with the Panthers, but the timing didn’t work out, so it went to the Lucky Pucks nonprofit. The Panthers eventually offered to take it over, combining the team’s foundation with the NHL organization’s finances and connections.
  • Players had a say in the move. “We don’t want to be second-class citizens. We want to be treated equally to the co-ed teams,” the girls told Madison Eckler, according to her father and Junior Lucky Pucks general manager Todd Eckler.
  • The announcement follows the Junior Cats’ inaugural season in the USPHL Florida Division, where the team captured the division’s regular-season title.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.