Another Stanley Cup banner raised into the rafters!

A new season for the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs is officially underway! Media Stage provided full AV support for the Florida Panthers’ 2025 Opening Night and Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony at Amerant Bank Arena. The event highlighted the team’s remarkable feat of back-to-back Cups and required precise coordination with the in-game presentation crew.

Our team handled lighting in the players’ tunnel, studio lighting for the broadcast pregame show, and four LED walls on the ice used throughout the ceremony. The LED configuration included two 10' x 1' horizontal video walls and two 3' x 6' vertical towers, positioned for maximum visibility throughout the bowl without obstructing ice operations.

Alternate captain Aaron Ekblad skated onto the ice with the Stanley Cup through these LED walls, allowing for eye-catching visuals during his entrance both for the fans in attendance and those watching on the national broadcast.

Load-in took place the day before the game, followed by two full rehearsals to ensure timing and transitions were exact. Because the setup was installed directly on the ice, our crew had to account for an 8-inch lip at the rink edge. We had just over 3 minutes to load everything onto the ice during a hype video, but only a 90-second window after the national anthem to remove all LED elements before puck drop. It was a tight turnaround to execute perfectly, but the game started on time the very second we locked the boards!

We also partnered with the regional broadcast team from Scripps Sports to provide a studio lighting complement for their pregame show set which was positioned just inside the arena entrance on the concourse.

Our crew was grateful to be a part of such a momentous night for our local team as they embark on a new season and the quest for a 3-peat! Let’s go Panthers!!!