Therien’s Take is brought to you by Phans of Philly road trip travel, by Lights On Electric, and by Cover All Exteriors, LLC: Phans of Philly is the most trusted name in Philly pro sports fan travel packages. Meanwhile, Lights On Electric and Cover All Exteriors are, respectively, the No. 1 electrician and the top roofing and siding contractor in the Delaware Valley. This week’s Take: Two big events in Sunrise, Florida.
I am in Sunrise, Florida this week. It’s a good time to be here. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion (three-peat Eastern Conference winner) Florida Panthers open the regular season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. The next night, it’s time for BKFC Ice Wars 3.
Both events take place at Amerant Bank Arena.
NHL Opener: Panthers vs. Flyers
Make no mistake: the Florida Panthers remain a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Nevertheless, I can’t help but think that maybe the Philadelphia Flyers will catch the Cats at just the right time. Three reasons:
- Injuries. The Panthers are without two of the top players in the NHL: Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Barkov is lost for the season, while Tkachuk is out for several months. Deep teams can work around injuries. However, those are two huge absences from the lineup. Meanwhile, the Flyers’ task got tougher on the blue line. Cam York seemed primed for the best start of his NHL career. Unfortunately, he had to go on Injured Reserve after sustaining a “lower-body injury” (I suspect groin or foot — not sure which) in Saturday’s preseason finale.
- Post-Cup blahs. Deep playoff runs are what NHL hockey is all about. However, repeated short summers means less chance to recover from the wear-and-tear of the season. It also makes the next regular season a bit anticlimactic. It’s the “wake me up when the playoffs start again” factor. It’s human nature to get a bit spoiled by success. All champions eventually fall. The 2025-26 Panthers are vulnerable.
- Opening night distractions. Every other NHL team wishes it was the Panthers. Nevertheless, banner nights (even for repeat champions) make it a bit hard to focus on the game at hand. The adrenaline starts to pump once the puck drops. Even so, the lead-up focus sometimes just isn’t where it needs to be. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and feel a false sense of invincibility.
BKFC Ice Wars in Sunrise
I have been in hockey broadcasting for nearly 20 years since the end of my NHL playing career. I’ve also done Ice Wars broadcasts from prior its incorporation into the Ice Wars franchise. However, Friday night’s Ice Wars event at Amerant Bank Arena will be a broadcasting first for me. I’ve always done color commentary or panelist work. This time around, I’m the play-by-play announcer.
The card in Sunrise on Friday has three big differences from past Ice Wars events.
- Natural Ice: The synthetic ice surface of the “Ice Box” gives way to the same natural ice surface the Panthers play on. That presents an advantage to the combatants who come from hockey (rather than MMA and/or boxing) backgrounds. Previously, the synthetic ice presented an adjustment for everyone, including hockey players.
- Bare knuckles: Past Ice Wars events featured MMA-style gloves. Come Friday, all the bouts will be fought ice hockey style: bare knuckles. There are no gloves, no sticks, and no puck. Otherwise, it looks like, well, a hockey fight plus judges and timed rounds.
- Venue size: Friday’s event marks BKFC Ice Wars first event in an NHL-sized arena. It makes a difference for the participants and the spectators. Earlier this year, as a fan, I attended the BKFC card in Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena (then Wells Fargo Center). It had a big event atmosphere. So will Friday’s card.
In terms of which fights present the biggest intrigue beforehand, here’s a preview.
