Cats & Coffee: Ekblad Lends a Hand; Reading Tour Reaches 1,000

Good morning and welcome to "Cats & Coffee," a weekly segment, presented by Koffee Kult, in which we serve up an exciting look at what's on deck for your Florida Panthers. Like our friends at Koffee Kult, this forecast serves up only the best -- so sit back, sip and enjoy our latest brew of news, notes and information!
If you want to play hockey, never miss an opportunity to pick up a few pointers from the best.

That was the case for an excited group of young, eager skaters at the Palm Beach Skate Zone on Sunday, as Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad made a surprise appearance at a "Learn to Play" class filled with first-timers to lend a helping hand with that week's lesson plan.
"I remember professional players coming to our little sessions when we were younger," said Ekblad, who grew up in Windsor, Ontario. "It's one of those things that sparks your interest. I was always that shy kid in the back that wouldn't go up to them, so I understand how it is… Hopefully it sparks their interest for the game, especially here in South Florida."
In speaking to the children, aged 5-9, Ekblad's message was simple: "keep getting back up."
"It's not easy," said Ekblad, who scored a career-high 16 goals last season. "You're not going to get it the first try. You're on thin little blades on the ice with a stick in your hand. It's not exactly normal. It's a little bit awkward at first, but I think all the kids had a good time."

In conjunction with the NHL, NHLPA and USA Hockey, the "Learn to Play" program was created to introduce boys and girls to the sport of hockey at an affordable cost. In addition to receiving six weeks of on-ice training from Panthers Alumni and USA Hockey certified coaches, all of the participants receive a full set of hockey equipment to keep upon the program's conclusion.
"Learn to Play" is currently running in six local rinks, including the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Glacier Ice & Snow Arena in Pompano Beach, Kendall Ice Arena in Miami, Palm Beach Ice Works in West Palm Beach, Pines Ice Arena in Pembroke Pines, Palm Beach Skate Zone in Lake Worth and one on the West Coast of Florida at Fort Myers Skatium.
"It's a great opportunity to introduce these kids to the game of hockey," Panthers Director of Community Relations John Colombo said. "We want to get them on the ice in safe environment at an affordable rate. The important thing is growing the game here in the market, putting a stick in kids' hands and letting them try it out."
For more information on the program or to register, please visit
FloridaPanthers.com/LearnToPlay
.

READING TOUR REACHES 1,000

With radio play-by-play man Doug Plagens serving as a guest reader, the Panthers closed the book on their inaugural summer reading tour at the Hallandale Beach Library this past week.
In conjunction with Broward County Libraries and the Broward Public Library Foundation, the Panthers visited a total of 11 area libraries from June-August, with special guests, alumni and personalities serving as guest readers at each stop.
Plagens, the last in a long line of guest readers that also included the likes of Roberto Luongo and Aaron Ekblad, made sure the tour ended on a high note by reading aloud "Your Dog Plays Hockey?" to a room of more than 50 children that packed the library for the event.
In total, more than 1,000 children attended reading sessions throughout the tour.

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

It's not ice, but it's still neat.
Although we still have to wait a bit longer for a frozen sheet of ice to return to the BB&T Center, the arena did undergo an equally impressive transformation over the weekend, as the oval-shaped interior was converted into a dirt-covered paradise for Monster Jam.
For a closer look at what went down, check out the time-lapse below!

THE SPOTLIGHT

Make sure to tune in when the Panthers step into the national spotlight this season!

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

Tweet from @StanleyCPanther: They keep letting me come back and cause trouble at the @BrowardHealth Children���s Hospital! This time the @ROARCorps and I brought bobble heads! #oneterritory pic.twitter.com/Wd5iKQOetH

COLD COFFEE (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

• The
  "Heroes Among Us" program is back for its sixth season
  .
  - What are the
  key statistics for the Panthers this season?
  -
  Three questions facing the Panthers this season
  .
  -
  An inside look at this year's Panthers
  .
  - How does Mark Pysyk spend his weekends?
  Well, Jamie McGinn is usually close by
  .
  -
  Florida's farm system recently earned high marks from the Sports News
  .
  - The
  South Florida hockey community is rallying around "warrior" Bobby DeFriest
  .
  - An Emmy winner joined this week's episode of Territory Talk!