FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Panthers have taken their branding to the runway.
On Thursday, the team and JetBlue introduced a special-edition aircraft livery at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, unveiling a plane called “Go Cats Go” as part of an expanded partnership that also nods to the rise of hockey in South Florida.
The aircraft is wrapped in Panthers red and carries design touches tied to Florida, a look JetBlue said was built to celebrate the two-time Stanley Cup champions. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito, captain Aleksander Barkov and forward Brad Marchand were on hand for the ceremony.
For Zito, the first look landed immediately.
“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.”
He also pointed to the details that make the plane pop, including the Panthers mark, the red accents and the small design near the door that gives fans a built-in photo op.
“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.”
For Zito, the plane represents more than a slick design. He tied it to the people and places around the organization.
“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.”
Barkov called the reveal “unreal” and said he had seen another JetBlue hockey plane before, but this one stood out to him right away.
“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.”
He said the growing visibility of the Panthers around South Florida has been impossible to miss.
“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.”
And Barkov said that support from the community has become part of what drives the team.
“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.”
Marchand said the plane is impossible to overlook and praised the way the design came together.
“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.”
He also said the aircraft reflects how far hockey has come in the area.
“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.”
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