Sunrise Sports & Entertainment Chair & Governor Doug Cifu yesterday "vehemently denied rumors" that the NHL Panthers are "up for sale," according to Chris Johnston of SPORTSNET.ca. Cifu, who will assume day-to-day control of the Panthers now that team Owner Vinnie Viola has been nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Army, in an email wrote that he "remains fully committed to the team." In recent weeks, sources suggested that Panthers owners had "spoken to interested buyers." The rumours "intensified" after yesterday's news about Viola. Cifu wrote, “Categorically and 100 per cent false and untrue. The Panthers have never been for sale and we’ve never talked to anyone ever about selling the Panthers" (SPORTSNET.ca, 12/19). In Ft. Lauderdale, Harvey Fialkov in a front-page piece notes the NHL yesterday congratulated Viola on his appointment and reiterated his assurance the "day-to-day operations of the Panthers' franchise will not be affected by this development." The league added that it will "certainly work closely with the club to ensure that is the case." Panthers GM and interim coach Tom Rowe said Viola will still "definitely have his hands on the pulse here" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 12/20). TSN.ca's Frank Seravalli noted Viola has "only been around the Panthers in public view about a dozen times since taking ownership of the team" in September '13. But Rowe weeks ago said that it was Viola who was "pulling the strings" (TSN.ca, 12/19).
MAKING THE CONNECTION: In Miami, George Richards notes it is "not immediately known" how closely Viola and President-elect Trump are connected. Panthers President & CEO Matthew Caldwell said, “I don’t think they know each other that well.” Trump and Viola had "some business dealings during the recent campaign as Trump leased a plane -- the one the Panthers used last season -- from Viola’s Eastern Airlines for Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence." Former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders had "previously used that aircraft during his campaign." BB&T Center in Sunrise, which is run by the Panthers, also was the "site of a Trump rally in August." Caldwell said that the team had a "lease agreement with Trump just as it had with President Barack Obama’s campaign" in '12 (MIAMI HERALD, 12/20).
