Panthers cancel public championship ring ceremony as hurricane approaches

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers canceled their scheduled public ring ceremony, which was to be held Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., because of an approaching hurricane, the team announced Sunday.

The Champions Ring Ceremony will not be held out of caution due to potential weather from Hurricane Milton, which is being monitored as it nears the Florida coastline. Numerous counties are under a state of emergency, including Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade.

"As this event would take resources from first responders and service providers, we have made the tough decision to cancel our Champions Ring Ceremony out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all involved. We will instead distribute our championship rings privately," Panthers President and CEO Matt Caldwell said in a release. "Along with state and local authorities, we are closely monitoring the situation."

He added that the Panthers' season opener against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena is scheduled to go on as planned as of the time of the statement.

Florida defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final in June to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

--Field Level Media