Panthers cancel ring ceremony due to weather conditions

The Florida Panthers cancelled their Champions Ring Ceremony on Monday out of “an abundance of caution” due to impending weather conditions caused by Hurricane Milton.

The hurricane has placed numerous counties in Florida under a state of emergency.

“As this event would take resources from first responders and service providers, we have made the tough decision to cancel our Champions Ring Ceremony out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all involved. We will instead distribute our championship rings privately,” Panthers president and CEO Matt Caldwell said in a team-ream released statement on Sunday. “Along with state and local authorities, we are closely monitoring the situation. As of now, Opening Night vs. Boston is scheduled to proceed as intended and we will continue preparing our arena and surrounding areas to safely welcome guests for Opening Night.”

Hurricane Milton is an impending tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico. According to local authorities, it has been officially classified as a hurricane and is heading toward Florida’s west coast. It’s expected to arrive near Tampa on Wednesday as at least a Category 3 storm, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning cancelled their final pre-season game against the Nashville Predators on Monday due to the hurricane.

The Panthers are scheduled to open their quest for back-to-back Stanley Cups on Tuesday at home against the Boston Bruins.