A field of 58 participants yesterday tried out to become the NHL Panthers' "practice goalie for the day" as part of the team's "Goal of a Lifetime" contest, according to Joe Trezza of the MIAMI HERALD. The prospective goalies auditioned "to earn the chance to compete in a shootout" during the first intermission of tonight's game against the Canadiens, with the winner earning the opportunity to practice for a day with the Panthers. The goalies "ranged in age from 18 to 57," and 48 of the participants "came from Florida." Many of the competitors "expressed gratitude to the Panthers for extending an opportunity to skate with current and former professional players," and all "received free tickets" to tonight’s game (MIAMI HERALD, 3/17). In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis notes the contest "was inspired by the freak occurrence" of Panthers Gs Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya "both being injured in a March 3 game" against the Maple Leafs. The contest "was suggested by Panthers assistant coach John Madden." The team was "overwhelmed by the response, receiving more than 1,500 applications from 42 states and 15 countries." ESPN's Linda Cohn, who played goalie in college, participated "in the media portion of the competition" and garnered "considerable air time about it" on the network (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/17).
MAKING LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS: Cohn's experience taking part in the tryout was featured on "SportsCenter" throughout yesterday afternoon. She called the contest a “fabulous marketing idea, taking a negative and turning it into a positive to get the entire hockey community of South Florida involved.” Cohn: “People don't realize how big hockey is down here. It all started in 1996, of course, when the Panthers went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and it had such a rippling affect on the community.” ESPN’s Barry Melrose during one segment broke down footage of Cohn’s performance in the contest (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 3/16).
