Panthers say travel delay to Edmonton for Stanley Cup Final ‘wasn’t that big of a deal’

The Florida Panthers already knew they had a nearly six-hour flight ahead of them Wednesday as they went from Sunrise to Edmonton for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

So an extended delay before that flight finally took off wasn’t that big of a deal for the Panthers.

South Florida’s continuous stream of rain on Wednesday — a second consecutive day of nearly non-stop weather in the area — delayed the Panthers’ flight to Edmonton International Airport by nearly three-and-a-half hours. The team took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at about 4:25 p.m. They were originally scheduled to leave Fort Lauderdale at 1 p.m.

They landed in Edmonton around 8 p.m. local time Wednesday (Edmonton is in the Mountain Time Zone, two hours behind South Florida) — less than 24 hours before puck drop Thursday.

But the Panthers insist the delay had no impact on their pregame routine as they attempt to put a stranglehold on the series. Florida is up 2-0 in the best-of-7 series entering Game 3.

“Actually, it didn’t really affect us at all,” Panthers center Anton Lundell said after the team’s morning skate at Rogers Place on Thursday. “We got in at a great time even if there was a little weather delay. It was smooth when we got in the air. We had a little more time to spend together. The guys who play cards had a little more time to win or lose some money. We were just watching how it goes. We had a great time. I don’t think any of us think it was a big deal. Got in at a great time. Got a great sleep. Got a great practice today.”

Added star winger Matthew Tkachuk: “We were only delayed a couple of hours. It wasn’t that big of a deal to be completely honest. Got in late. Had food ready at the hotel, had some on the plane. Got in a little bit of a workout if you wanted to. I think most guys did something when they got to the hotel — pool, bike, whatever. It was a long flight, so by the time you get to the hotel, you just do that and then go to bed. It was pretty easy.”

The Oilers left South Florida on Tuesday to return to Edmonton. With two days between Games 2 and 3, the Panthers opted to stay home the extra day.

“We didn’t like the idea of getting them up [Tuesday] early enough to get in at a reasonable time in Edmonton,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday, adding that he didn’t get home until about 1 a.m. Tuesday after Game 2. “We did not see a value in it. It’s also all logistics. We’re going to go up there and be fairly cloistered just with the amount of people outside. We’ll stay close to the rink so we’re gong to be in that building [a lot]. We didn’t necessarily need another day in there.”

Wednesday was the second consecutive day South Florida experienced a deluge of rain. Nearly 20 inches of rain hit Miami-Dade and Broward counties on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for the area due to life-threatening flash floods.

Fort Lauderdale and Miami International Airport experienced hours-long delays.

In Edmonton on Thursday, Maurice said the team spent an extra hour after practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale before heading to the airport because of the impending delay.

Beyond that, it was business as usual.

“The coaches put on seven pounds [Wednesday]. That’s the only ramification. We ate 12 meals,” Maurice said. “We got on the plane. We spent an extra hour and a half on the tarmac or whatever it was. They were playing cards. They laughed. Every time one of the trainers walked in and he was soaked from head to toe, he got a standing ovation. And then the flight was the same way. We get here at 8 o’clock instead of 6 o’clock. So I’m joking around but there’s some people struggling right now in Florida. It was flooding. it’s a serious thing that happened there but our day was not.”