Continue below to see what the trio had to say about team’s foray into aviation.
Bill Zito
On his reaction to seeing the plane for the first time
“There's an energy from it. It's so beautiful. It's so cool. I'm already proud of it, and I really have no reason to be proud of it. It's just really special and really cool. I know there's going to be situations where I'm going to be on the road, I'm going to be scouting, I'll be somewhere, and I’ll look out the window and see that plane and put a big smile on.”
On the design of the plane
“It's elegant It's almost perfect. The panther goes this far, and then it's red. Then there's a JetBlue logo. If you look next to the door on your way in, there's the palm tree and hockey stick logo, so fans could do a selfie when they’re getting on the plane. It's just so well thought out and well-engineered. I'm really excited. It's great.”
On what the plane means to the Panthers
“Initially, it's pride in Fort Lauderdale and in Broward County, and all the people who work so hard to enjoy and make it such a wonderful place for all of us to live. Then there's just the element of fun, right? You look at it and it's beautiful. It's fun and it's vibrant. It gives you energy and puts a smile on your face.”
Aleksander Barkov
On his reaction to seeing the plane for the first time
“It's unreal. Obviously, I've seen the Boston Bruins [JetBlue] plane before, and it was really nice, but this one's also really nice. I love it. Classy looking with the big cat on the side. It looks cool. Like every detail is unbelievable. Underneath with the text and everything, you can see the bottom [of the plane] when it goes up and tt says Florida Panthers. That's pretty cool. Just another big thing that that's happening here with us.”
On the continued growth of the Panthers in South Florida
“It's a great thing to see, for sure. Like you see [our logo] more and more. When you think that you can't see it more, then they come up with a plane. It’s been great. Every single day here since I joined the organization, I feel like we've been taking steps forward. I'm just looking forward to many more things to come.”
On the support the Panthers receive in South Florida
“You play for the team, but then it's much bigger than that. You play for the fans, you play for the community, for the city. You feel their support. That adds even more fuel for you to want to do whatever you need to be as good as possible for every single person in the room, in the building, in the city. Everyone's following you, so that that's just a great feeling.”
Brad Marchand
On the design of the plane
“It's not a plane that you're gonna miss. It stands out. They did an incredible job with it. During the press conference, Barky and I were talking about the back of the plane and how the Panther logo up there is incredible. Yeah, it’s really special to have something like this.”
On what the plane means for the Panthers
“After being down here for a few years and seeing how the fans really appreciate the game of hockey, how it's grown down here, it’s incredible. It's a great ode to how much hockey is growing down here. It’ll be special for fans all over to see that [plane], and it's a lot of fun for fans when a plane like this shows up to an airport. It's special for the Panthers to have that recognition. It’s been earned.”
