(Sunrise) Vincent Viola has a problem, but it’s a good problem.
Viola is one of the owners of Forte, a presumed favorite for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. He also owns the Florida Panthers, who just eliminated favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Viola may have to find herself in two places at the same time over the weekend, with a horse race and hockey games on her schedule.
Better that than the opposite. The Panthers advanced to the first round of the NHL playoffs in a second straight season for the first time in franchise history — this time by surprising the Boston Bruins. The dark cloud over the team has given way to sunshine as Viola believes the Panthers are close to fulfilling their promise to bring the Stanley Cup to South Florida.
“That was what we hoped for on this journey,” Viola said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. We have experienced roller coaster years. It’s really special because I feel the bond of trust with the fans — and that wasn’t a guarantee in the past.
“They gave us a lot of credit confidence. And it took us a long time to really deserve it. I think we now have an organization they can be proud of. »
Winning a championship is never easy. It’s no different in hockey. The winners and losers of last spring’s Grand Finals — the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning — were knocked out in the first round this season.
For years, the Panthers have been confined to the bottom of the NHL standings. Their victory over the Washington Capitals in the first round in 2022 marked the first series won by the team since 1996, when they lost in the Finals to the Avalanche.
The Panthers now have a date with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who just won their first series since 2004.
“We have people who believe in this team,” Viola said.
It is of course part of it. His confidence never wavered, even in the closing moments of Game 7 against the Bruins on Sunday night. Brandon Montour forced the presentation of an extension. Then Carter Verhaeghe played the heroes, sending the team that set records for points and victories during the regular season on vacation.
“I don’t know why, but 51% of me felt this inexplicable optimism and 49% of me thought of all the work done by the staff and players and the dedication of our fans. I was afraid of disappointing our supporters again, he said. I did not give up. As a fan, I never gave up. »
The victory confirmed that the team had made the right choices in the summer of 2022.
The team sacrificed Jonathan Huberdeau — then the all-time leading scorer — in order to get Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames.
The Panthers almost refused the trade at the last moment, simply because they really appreciated Huberdeau’s work. Viola called the decision “heartbreaking”, but added that the ownership group – which includes his two sons – and the team management “thought with their heads and not their hearts”.
Tkachuk ultimately had 109 points this season.
“We got a real winner in Matthew Tkachuk,” Viola said. He is a player who defines his team. You can call him a unicorn, a generational talent, whatever. He is the epitome of the modern hockey player. And her relationship with Aleksander Barkov is like one plus one equals four! We were lucky. »
The other major change took place behind the bench. Paul Maurice was preferred over Andrew Brunette, under whom the Panthers had just finished the season with the NHL’s best record despite his interim title.
“The fans were ready to quickly criticize Paul Maurice at the start,” Viola admitted. But I think the work he has done has shown that he is one of the best coaches on the circuit. »
Forte is out to conquer the Kentucky Derby. The Panthers are chasing the Stanley Cup.
So Viola is busy these days, but he’s not complaining about it.
“The Kentucky Derby is a very difficult event to predict because so many things have to fall into place at the right time,” Viola said. On the other hand, I believe that he has a really good chance of winning the race. »
His hockey team surprised more than one. If his horse wins on Saturday, he will surprise few. But regardless, Viola is enjoying the adventure.
