If you ask a casual hockey fan where the Florida Panthers play, they’ll probably guess Miami. It makes sense. The Miami Heat are there, the Marlins are there, and the Dolphins—well, they’re technically in Miami Gardens, but it’s close enough. But the Florida Panthers home city isn't Miami. It’s not even Fort Lauderdale. It is Sunrise, a suburban city in Broward County that most people only know because of a massive outlet mall and a very busy hockey arena.
Sunrise is a weird place for a pro sports team. Honestly, it’s basically the edge of the Everglades. You step out of the Amerant Bank Arena, look west, and there is nothing but sawgrass and alligators for miles. It’s a far cry from the neon lights of South Beach or the skyscrapers of downtown.
But here’s the thing: being in Sunrise is exactly why the Panthers have finally found their footing.
The Geography of the Florida Panthers Home City
Sunrise sits about 30 miles north of Miami. In Florida traffic, that’s a lifetime. If you’re trying to get to a 7:00 PM puck drop from Coral Gables, you might as well bring a sleeping bag for the car. This geographic disconnect is why the team struggled with attendance for years. People in Miami didn't want to drive north, and people in Palm Beach didn't want to drive too far south.
Sunrise was the compromise.
When the team moved from the old Miami Arena in 1998, the logic was simple. The owner at the time, Wayne Huizenga, wanted to capture the "tri-county" area. He figured that by placing the arena right off the Sawgrass Expressway, he could pull fans from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. It was a suburban play.
It took nearly three decades for that gamble to actually pay off.
For a long time, the arena—originally the National Car Rental Center, then Office Depot Center, then BankAtlantic Center, then BB&T Center, then FLA Live, and now Amerant Bank Arena—felt like a ghost town. You could get tickets for the price of a sandwich. But as the population in Western Broward and Southern Palm Beach exploded, the demographic shifted. Suddenly, the Florida Panthers home city was surrounded by young families and transplants from the Northeast who actually knew what a blue line was.
Why Sunrise Isn't Just a "Miami Suburb"
If you call Sunrise a suburb to a local, they’ll probably just shrug, but the city has its own identity. It’s home to Sawgrass Mills, one of the largest outlet malls in the United States. This is relevant because the arena and the mall share a massive ecosystem of parking lots and traffic patterns.
On a Saturday night when the Panthers are playing at home and the mall is having a holiday sale, the intersection of Flamingo Road and Panther Parkway is basically the eighth circle of hell.
But Sunrise offers something Miami couldn't: space. The practice facility, the Baptist Health IcePlex, recently opened in Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park, but the game-day energy remains firmly rooted in the suburban sprawl of Sunrise. There’s a specific "backyard" feel to it. You see fans tailgating in the massive asphalt lots, something that’s nearly impossible to do at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami.
The 2024 Championship Shift
Winning changes everything. When the Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2024, the narrative around their location shifted. It was no longer "Why are they out in the middle of nowhere?" and became "The cats are the kings of the swamp."
The victory parade didn't even happen in Sunrise. It happened in Fort Lauderdale.
That tells you everything you need to know about the identity of the team. While Sunrise is the technical Florida Panthers home city, the team belongs to the entire Broward County region. The celebration on A1A, with players jumping into the Atlantic Ocean and fans lining the beach, cemented the team’s status as a South Florida staple, rather than just a suburban curiosity.
Does the Location Impact the Players?
It’s a massive advantage. Ask any NHL player where they’d rather live: a cramped apartment in Manhattan or a massive estate with a pool in Parkland or Weston?
Most of the roster lives within a 15-minute drive of the arena. They live in quiet, gated communities. They don't deal with the chaos of Miami. This lifestyle is a huge selling point for free agents. Matthew Tkachuk didn't just come here for the lack of state income tax; he came for the lifestyle that a suburban home city provides.
You’ve got guys like Aleksander Barkov who can go to the grocery store in Boca or Delray and, while they might get recognized, they aren't hounded like they would be in Montreal or Toronto. The "home city" of Sunrise provides a buffer of privacy that helps keep the roster stable and happy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Arena
There’s a persistent myth that the Panthers play in a "bad" location.
If you’re a tourist staying on South Beach, yes, it’s a bad location. It’s an hour Uber ride. But if you are part of the 6 million people who actually live in South Florida, Sunrise is arguably the most accessible spot in the region. It’s located at the nexus of the I-75, the Sawgrass Expressway, and I-540.
The arena itself is actually one of the better-maintained facilities in the league. Because it’s not shared with an NBA team (unlike many other NHL rinks), the ice quality is generally higher. They don't have to deal with the constant humidity shifts of changing the floor every night for a basketball game.
Economic Impact on Sunrise
The city of Sunrise has leaned hard into the "Panthers" brand. You see the logo on street signs. You see it in the local parks. The team is the primary economic driver for the western side of the county. When there’s a playoff run, the local bars and restaurants in the nearby "CityPlace" (now known as Metropica) see a massive surge in revenue.
It’s not just hockey, either. Because it’s the only major arena in that part of the state, it hosts every major concert tour that passes through. From Bruce Springsteen to Harry Styles, Sunrise is the stop.
Practical Insights for Visiting the Florida Panthers Home City
If you’re planning a trip to see a game, don't just wing it.
- Stay in Fort Lauderdale, not Miami. You’ll be much closer to the arena and the new practice facility. Plus, the Brightline train makes getting around way easier now.
- The Mall is a Trap. Don't try to park at Sawgrass Mills to save money on arena parking. They will tow you. It’s a long walk, and the security guards are onto the scheme.
- Arrive via the Sawgrass Expressway. Avoid Sunrise Blvd if you can help it; it gets choked with local traffic. The expressway drops you right at the gates.
- Check out the "The Backyard." This is the outdoor area at the arena where they have pre-game music and drinks. It’s where you’ll find the actual "local" vibe of the Florida Panthers home city.
The reality of the Florida Panthers is that they are a suburban success story. They proved that you don't need a "traditional" hockey market or a downtown metropolitan hub to build a championship culture. You just need a winning product and a location that the actual residents can reach.
Sunrise might be on the edge of the Everglades, but right now, it’s the center of the hockey world.
Next Steps for Fans
To truly experience the Panther's culture, skip the downtown Miami hotels. Look for accommodations in the Weston or Plantation areas for the most convenient access to the arena. If you want to see where the team trains, head over to the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale; it's open to the public and offers a much more intimate look at the team's daily operations than the massive arena in Sunrise. Be sure to purchase parking passes in advance through the ParkWhiz app, as drive-up prices at the Amerant Bank Arena are significantly higher.