SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers have
The arena video screen Thursday night showed the names and faces of each of the 17 students who were killed on Valentine's Day in nearby Parkland. The darkened ice was then illuminated with 17 circles of light, with a student's name inside each one.
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, a Parkland resident, gave an emotional statement about the bravery of those who lost their lives trying to save others and how inspiring the students have been coping with the tragedy.
Players from both teams stood for the ceremony, some wiping tears from their eyes.
It was the first home game for the Panthers since the tragedy. They had been on a road trip in Canada for the past 11 days.
Florida players will wear Marjory Stoneman Douglas logos on their helmets and MSD uniform patches for the remainder of the season.
The tribute was hosted by Panthers announcer Randy Moller.
___
More AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
Paul Gereffi, The Associated Press