Tkachuk’s words epitomized why the Panthers’ locker room, led by Aleksander Barkov and largely assembled by Bill Zito and his front-office staff, is so welcoming.

THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER AND THE FLORIDA PANTHERS The Thunder are rolling into the NBA Finals in historically dominant fashion. Oklahoma City destroyed Minnesota 124-94 to finish off the Western Conference Finals in five games.

When the Florida Panthers won their first-ever Stanley Cup last year, a fan at The Brightside bar in Miami declared on live TV: "We are a hockey town!" Never mind that the Panthers play about an hour away in Broward County,

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday, May 28.

The Florida Panthers are on the verge of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season, with a chance of defending their title. As they sit a