What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (April 14-20)

WATCH FOR the Tampa Bay Lightning to open the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay Times Forum.  The Lightning hold first round home ice advantage as the number three seed in Eastern Conference.  Some facts about the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 2013-14 season.

• The Lightning finished in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division with 101 points
• Tampa Bay’s 46 wins this season tied a franchise-best (2010-11 and 2003-04)



• The winner of this series will play the winner of the Boston Bruins/Detroit Red Wings series in the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Playoffs
• The Lightning and the Canadiens met in the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Tampa Bay sweeping Montreal four games to none en route to the Stanley Cup Championship
• The Lightning and the Canadiens played four times this season with the Lightning winning three of the four games, the only loss coming in a shootout.

Also WATCH FOR the Orlando Solar Bears continuing into the post-season. An affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs and AHL’s Iowa Wild and Toronto Marlies, the Solar Bears will face-off against the Cincinnati Cyclones in the Eastern Conference Kelly Cup Quarterfinals.  The best of seven series opens at the Amway Center Thursday, April 17 at 7pm.

WATCH FOR the Miami Heat‘s first-round NBA playoff fate to be determined as soon as Monday night or as late as Wednesday.

Should both the Heat and Charlotte Bobcats lose Monday night, then the Heat and Bobcats would be locked into a No. 2-vs.-No. 7 best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series that would open this weekend at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Without that scenario Monday night, the Heat’s first-round matchup will not be decided until Wednesday, the final day of the regular season, when they meet the Philadelphia 76ers in Miami.

The HEAT announced the return of its immensely popular promotional campaign: White Hot. HEAT fans everywhere are encouraged to embrace their role throughout the post-season by wearing white to support the HEAT in all daily activities, particularly HEAT Playoff game dates.

White Hot: The 2014 HEAT Playoffs will formally begin on Monday, April 14th with the launch of White Hot HEAT Week—the franchise’s series of community events and promotions.

WATCH FOR a couple of big days coming up in the northwest corner of the state as the Pensacola Ice Flyers celebrate their second consecutive SPHL President’s Cup Championship Tuesday night at the Pensacola Bay Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and fans can have their picture taken with Maverick – Pensacola Ice Flyers and the President’s Cup in Meeting Room A on the first floor before the ceremony.

The ceremony will begin at 6:45 p.m. and following there will be a full team autograph session on the west concourse.

The Ice Flyers’ 5-1 victory, Saturday night, against the Columbus Cottonmouths at the Columbus Civic Center clinched the Southern Professional Hockey League President’s Cup championship.

On Wednesday, the Pensacola Sports Association will host local businesses and sports organizers in Pensacola and surrounding areas in the second annual Sports Connection Expo. The event takes place at the Vickrey Center at 2130 Summit Blvd in Pensacola, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

The Sports Connection Expo provides avenues of communication between sports organizers and local businesses. PSA will act as host, providing a structured central location to bring interested parties together. Last year’s Expo showcased 28 sports groups, representing more than 50 different events, including Five Flags Speedway, the Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club, Softball Players’ Association, Santa Rosa Island Triathlon, Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club, the Pensacola Hunter-Jumper Association, the First Tee of Northwest Florida, Pensacola Yacht Club, Special Olympics, to name a few.

New exhibitors already signed up are the Pro Watercross Tour (Jet Ski tournament), Pathways for Change Pensacola Mud Run 5K and Pensacola Table Tennis Club. Admittance is open to everyone. Businesses wishing to attend need only show up between 10 and 12 on April 16 – no RSVP is required.

WATCH FOR the Florida Firefighter Games make a Major Impact in Palm Beach County for two weeks in April and May, with the nation’s largest gathering of firefighters competing in sports.  The Florida Firefighter Games and its 3,000 participants will take place  from April 25 to May 10, 2014.  The Florida Firefighter Games is an Olympic-style competition dedicated exclusively for firefighters. This multi-sport event features over 30 different sports events, including soccer, flag football, softball, golf, basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, fishing, racquetball, bowling, billiards, and cycling.

Multiple venues throughout Palm Beach County will be utilized to accommodate the variety of sporting events.   Seminole Palms Park, Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, Okeeheelee Park, Northwood University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Cardinal Newman High School, Palm Beach Skate Zone, Green Acres Bowl, and several golf courses will serve as anchor facilities.  The Hilton Palm Beach Airport is the host hotel and will serve as a venue to indoor sports.

The Florida Firefighter Games is one of the largest sporting events in the United States solely dedicated to firefighters and the influx of visitors will create a major tourism and economic impact.  This event has taken place in Palm Beach County on two previous occasions (May of 2004 & 2007) and consistently generates over 1,500 hotel room nights and nearly a million dollars in visitor spending for its host community.  

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (April 7-13)

WATCH FOR Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships athletes to compete on the same ice used as 2014 Winter Olympic athletes at the Ellenton Ice Complex.  The competition will be held May 16-18 but the entry deadline is Monday, April 14th for mail-in entries and Friday, April 18th for online entries.

Recent Olympians training at the Ellenton Ice Complex include Felicia Zhang and Nate Bartholomay (pictured at left), who earned their spot on Team USA with a second place finish at the U.S. National Championships.  Stacey Kemp and David King represented Great Britain for the second time and Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers train part-time at Ellenton Ice and earned spot on Team Canada.

The 2014 Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships schedule will be available May 1, 2014.

WATCH FOR two of Florida’s pro teams head down the stretch of the regular season and ready for the post-season.

The Miami Heat has a crucial game Friday against the Indiana Pacers.  The Heat currently lead the Eastern Conference race for the number one overall seed by percentage points with 53-23 record, while Pacers have a 53-25 record.  Including the game Friday, Miami has six games regular season games remaining and have clinched the Southeast Division.  The Heat’s last regular season game is April 16 and the playoffs begin April 19.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have clinched playoff spot and are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference post-season standings with four regular season games remaining, through Sunday, April 13, three at home.  According to NHL.com, if the post-season began today, the Lightning would meet the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs beginning on April 16.

WATCH FOR Lake County to become one of the largest beach volleyball facilities in the southeast, if county commissioners approve a plan to build a sand volleyball complex at their April 8 meeting.  The 20-court volleyball complex would be built at the 68-acre Hickory Point Recreational Complex on Lake Harris in Tavares. The Florida Region of USA Volleyball and Lake County Florida hope to bring tournaments ranging from amateur, to high school and college, to professional tournaments to Lake County.

WATCH FOR continued success for Florida LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship Sunday, the first LPGA major title for the Coral Springs resident.

Thompson, 19, shot a near-flawless 4-under-par 68 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., to win by three shots over Michelle Wie. Thompson, who started the final round tied for the lead with Wie, finished with a four-round total of 14-under 274.

It was her third victory in her past 12 LPGA tournaments and the fourth of her career.

“I’ve worked my whole life to win a major,” said Thompson, who became the second youngest winner of a major on the LPGA Tour. Boca Raton’s Morgan Pressel is the youngest, having won the Kraft Nabisco in 2007 at the age of 18. Pressel tied for 11th at 2 under.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (March 31 – April 6)

WATCH FOR three Florida basketball teams experiencing March Madness to carry it into April as the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and South Florida Bulls women’s team are two wins away from National Championships in the NCAA and NIT Basketball Tournaments.  Of the 18 teams still playing in four Division I Basketball tournaments on April 1, the State of Florida boasts the most of 13 states with teams still playing at three.  Connecticut and Texas have two and should the Louisville women’s team defeat Maryland tonight in a NCAA Regional Final, Kentucky would match Connecticut and Texas with two.

The Gators advanced to the NCAA Final Four with wins over UCLA and Dayton last weekend in Indianapolis to run their current win streak to 30 games and improve their record to 36-2.  

They have a chance to avenge their last loss, on December 2, when they meet the Connecticut Huskies Saturday night in AT&T Stadium in North Texas.  The winner advances to the Championship Game to meet the winner of the Kentucky/Wisconsin game.  Florida defeated Kentucky twice during the regular season and in the SEC Tournament and their only other loss this year was to Wisconsin on November 12.  Should the Gators stretch their win streak to 32 games, it would be the third NCAA Basketball National Championship for Florida and head coach Billy Donovan since 2006.

The Florida State Seminoles also have an opportunity to avenge a loss from the regular season and advance to the finals of the National Invitational Tournament when they meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Madison Square Garden tonight.  FSU, 22-13, lost to Minnesota in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on December 3.  With a win, the Seminoles will face the winner of the Clemson/SMU semifinal game on Thursday night.

The South Florida Bulls (23-12) play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Women’s NIT Semifinals tomorrow in the USF Sun Dome.  The Bulls advanced to the semifinals with a three-point buzzer beater to score a 60-58 win over Mississippi State.  With a win, USF plays for the WNIT Championship against the winner of the UTEP/South Dakota State game on Saturday.

WATCH FOR the Miami Heat and Tampa Bay Lightning wrap up their regular seasons and qualify for the 2014 NBA and NHL postseasons.  The Heat are battling the Indiana Pacers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with nine games remaining through April 16.  Fortunately for Miami, six of their nine remaining games are at home in the American Airlines Arena, including a crucial April 11 matchup against the Pacers in South Florida.  Miami is gunning for its third consecutive deep post-season run after winning the last two NBA Finals Championship.

The Lightning have an even more favorable home schedule down the stretch with six of their seven remaining games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.  Tampa Bay is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with 91 points and can clinch a playoff spot as early as tonight.  Should they clinch tonight, it will be the first post-season appearance for the Lightning since the 2010-11 season.

WATCH FOR the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays as they open their 2014 seasons with homestands and build on opening day wins.  The Marlins started the season with a 10-1 win over the Colorado Rockies and the Rays scored a 9-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.  Both teams featured strong pitching performances by two of the brightest young aces in Major League Baseball.  The 2013 Rookie of the Year, Jose Fernandez, struck out nine to tie a Marlins Opening Day record and David Price, the 2012 Cy Young Award winner, pitched into the eighth inning for the Rays.

The Marlins continue their series against the Rockies through Thursday before welcoming the San Diego Padres to Miami for a three-game weekend set.  The Rays play three more against the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field and then host the Texas Rangers for three games through Sunday.

If pre-season success carries over into the regular season, the Rays and Marlins are in for a good year.  The Rays compiled the best 2014 Florida Grapefruit League record with a 16-7 slate and the Marlins finished with the next best Spring Training record of 18-12.  

WATCH FOR athletes of all ages to compete in upcoming amateur sports opportunities offered by the Florida Sports Foundation.  Two local Senior Games qualifiers will take place with The Villages Senior Games and Lake County Senior Games.  

While the Sunshine State Games calendar of events doesn’t begin until May, registration is open for several events.  Online registration is available for the following events at http://www.flasports.com

Sunshine State Games Basketball Championships, Alachua County, May 9-11
Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships, Ellenton Ice Complex, May 16-18
Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Series, Broward County, May 16-18
Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Series, Sarasota County, June 7-8
Sunshine State Games Sarasota County Festival, June 6-8
Sunshine State Games Polk County Festival, June 21-22
Sunshine State Games Water Polo Championships, Coral Springs, June 27-29

WATCH FOR two FSF granted events to bring nearly 13,000 visitors and over $7 million in economic impact to the State of Florida in the first few weeks of April.  The 2014 YMCA Masters National Championship, will be held at Sarasota’s Selby Aquatic Center, April 9-14, 2014.  The YMCA Masters Championships is open to all swimmers over the age of 18.  Five other venues also bid to host the competition, before that list was narrowed down to Sarasota and the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina. Sarasota was chosen, in large part, because of recent improvements made to the center prior to hosting the Pan-Am Masters Swimming Championships, which included new Myrtha Pool Olympic-style starting blocks.

The Ironman 70.3 Florida, returns to Polk County for the third consecutive year, April 14-16.  In 2013, more than 2,220 athletes participated in the three days of events.  The signature race, the 70.3 Triathlon, has athletes beginning the race in waves with a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Eva, then progress to a 56-mile bike course past citrus groves and cattle farms along Highway 17, and finally ended with a 13.1-run loop around Lake Eva and through the heart of Haines City.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (October 14-20)

WATCH FOR Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park’s newly-renovated cross country course, a masterpiece that will continue to bring in big dollars for the community and bigger events in the future.

“There’s nothing else like it in the state, and there are few places in the country — less than five — that have this good of a course,” said FSU cross country coach Bob Braman. “So we’re going to be winning bids for a lot of events.”

The FSU Invitational, held last weekend and featured college and high school runners, is one of the largest cross country events in the South.

The high school portion included many of the elite runners and teams in the state and featured more than 200 teams and as many as 3,000 runners from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Including the spectators traveling with the athletes, that means a substantial boost to the local economy as visitors flood into restaurants, hotels, stores and gas stations. Along with the Florida High Schools state meet on Saturday, Nov. 9, county officials expect to see a total of $1.9 million in direct spending.

“We expect there will be $800,000 in direct spending this weekend alone,” said Lee Daniel, executive director of the Leon County Tourism Development Department.

WATCH FOR, literally, the progress of Daytona International Speedway’s historic DAYTONA Rising project, as it now has the ability to look-in on the construction site.

Utilizing state-of-the-art EarthCam technology, race fans will have a view of the construction activities along the frontstretch grandstands with multiple vantage points including a panorama view and the ability to zoom in.

There are three robotic 288 megapixel archiving cameras as well as four HD streaming cameras aimed at the construction work taking place at Daytona International Speedway.

DAYTONA Rising is a $400 million reimagining of an American icon – Daytona International Speedway. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. DAYTONA Rising is expected to create 6,300 jobs, $300 million in labor income and over $80 million in tax revenue, will be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and DAYTONA 500.

For tickets and more information on Daytona International Speedway events, visit http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

WATCH FOR the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships Registration Book to be mailed out to over 10,000 prospective 50 and over athletes in the State of Florida.

Online registration is now open for the 23 sports and events of the 2013 Games, to be held December 7-15 in Lee County.

The Tampa Bay Senior Games and the Kissimmee/St. Cloud Senior Games are in full swing this week and the Ormond Beach Senior Games begin on October 26.

After Ormond Beach, there are only two local Games qualifiers remaining in November, the Golden Age Games (November 2-9) and Martin County Senior Games (November 2-11).

Entry fees for the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships vary by sport and registration deadlines are in mid-November.

WATCH FOR the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the cross-state rivals, who have developed a new competition to engage fans: the Governor’s Cup.

A new initiative, the Cup will be presented to whichever team takes home the best head-to-head record. Both teams will provide donations to its rival’s youth hockey initiative, as well as providing tickets to local students for Governor’s Cup games.

Of course, with the new alignment, the two will only play each other four times, meaning it’s possible that the series could end in a tie. Not to worry though, as tiebreaker scenarios are already in place.

The Lightning won the first game, 7-2, last Thursday in the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The next of the four game series will be held in the BB&T Center in Sunrise.


Sunday, Oct. 27, Lightning at Panthers, 5 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 23, Lightning at Panthers, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 13, Panthers at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. 
 


“The Sunshine State is a national leader in sports, and the creation of the Governor’s Cup is great news for Florida hockey. This competition is an excellent way to highlight the opportunities that Floridians, and our visitors, have to enjoy all of the wonderful activities that our state has to offer,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said.

WATCH FOR the opportunity to purchase tickets for March Madness almost five months before the madness begins at the Amway Center in Orlando.

As a valued fan, here’s an opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 2nd & 3rd Rounds on March 20 & 22 at the Amway Center before they go on sale to the general public. Use the offer code FLASPORTS.

The pre-sale window will start on October 15th at 10 am and end on October 17th at 11:59 pm.

Central Florida has enjoyed a great partnership with the NCAA dating back to the mid 1990’s, successfully hosting numerous NCAA National Championships. In all, 41 NCAA National or Regional Championships will have been staged in Central Florida from 1997 through 2014. Championships decided in the area include the 1999 and 2004 Men’s Division I Basketball First and Second Round Games.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (October 7-13)

WATCH FOR Florida Senior Athletes to compete in local senior games events leading up to the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships.

The Tampa Bay Senior Games are in full swing this week with events daily. The Tampa Bay Games began on Saturday and continue through Friday, October 18. Pickleball will be held October 25-27 and registration is still available.

Two athletes who will compete in the Tampa Bay Games Powerlifting competition on Friday will have a full schedule through October 18.

A regular competitor in the Games is 92-year old Edith Traina, sandwiched in between her Powerlifting, Traina will be in Shuffleboard, Bag Toss, Billiards and Darts events, according to Tampa Bay Senior Games Director Mary Clements Fowler.

Traina set a Florida Masters Powerlifting record at the 2012 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships (photo above) and has set new goals for the Tampa Bay Senior Games, a 115-pound dead lift and a 65-pound bench press.

Wesley Chapel’s Otis Perry (at right with family) will participate in 12 events. The first on his list was the 1 Mile Walk on Saturday and he continues this week with Table Tennis, Darts, Billiards, Horseshoes, Dominoes and compete in Basketball Shooting, Bag Toss. In the track and field events he will do the long jump, shot put and discus.

Besides showing his athletic prowess, the former school administrator and athletic director is showing off his cooking talents in the baking contest. He plans to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Louisiana Pecans.

Perry won a gold medal in the Powerlifting 70-74 age group in 2012 with an 80 lb bench press and 115 lb deadlift.

Also WATCH FOR the Gainesville Senior Games taking place October 11-19 and the Kissimmee/St. Cloud Senior Games October 12-19.

Follow the Florida Senior Games on Facebook and Register Online..

WATCH FOR a pair of NHL home openers for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers on Friday and Saturday night.

The Lightning host the Panthers on Friday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and the Panthers open their home schedule on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.

Prior to their season opener, the Panthers introduced their new ownership, Vincent Viola as Chairman, Principal Owner & Governor of SSE, the Florida Panthers and the Broward County-owned BB&T Center.

In addition, Douglas Cifu assumes the role of Vice Chairman, Partner & Alternate Governor, while Michael R. Yormark has been promoted to the position of President & Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

Read about the New Era in Florida Panthers Hockey in a blog by Yormark.

Heading into the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning broadcast crew provided a preview. Hear what Rick Peckham, Dave Mishkin and Bobby “The Chief” Taylor have to say about the Lightning and what fans can expect in 2013-14.

WATCH FOR construction at the Lee County Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium as the Minnesota Twins and Lee County have broken ground on $48.5 million in renovations at the team’s spring training complex.

Groundbreaking was held Thursday, October 3 at the Lee County Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

The complex serves as the Twins’ Florida Grapefruit League home as well as the team’s year-round player development operations, including the franchise’s Florida State League affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle.

The renovations will be completed in two phases. The first phase includes

· A new residential player development academy
· Renovations to the Minor League clubhouse and administrative areas
· A new Gulf Coast League playing field
· A new agility field
· Completion of a 360 degree boardwalk and concourse at Hammond Stadium, including new berm seating in left field
· Expansion of Hammond Stadium’s seating capacity of 8,000 to 9,300
· A new parking lot

Phase One should be completed by spring 2014. The second phase includes upgraded concourses and improved concessions at Hammond Stadium by February 2015.

The Twins have been training at the Fort Myers complex since 1991.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (September 16-22)

WATCH FOR the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning to be back on the ice to play a short pre-season leading up to the regular season in October.

The Panthers are playing a day/night doubleheader today at the BB&T Center in Sunrise with a game against the Nashville Predators beginning at 2:30 p.m., followed by the nightcap at 7:00 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Lightning opens its 2013 preseason against the St. Louis Blues in Orlando’s Amway Center on Wednesday, September 18.  The following night the Lightning returns to the ice against the Nashville Predators at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The Forum will host one more pre-season game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, September 21.

The Panthers and Lightning also meet in a neutral site game, at the Germain Arena in Estero, on Thursday, September 26.  Germain Arena is the home of the Florida Everblades, an ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.

The Panthers play their final pre-season home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, September 28 before opening the regular season with four road Games.  Florida travels for their season opener against the Dallas Stars on October 3. The Panthers first regular-season home game comes on Friday, October 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Lightning open the regular season with three road games beginning Wednesday, October 3 against the Boston Bruins.  Their first home game comes on Thursday, October 10 against the Florida Panthers in downtown Tampa.

WATCH FOR the undefeated Miami Dolphins to play their first home game of the season against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.  While it’s a long season, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero says Sunday’s win against a good team and a good quarterback sends Dolphins fans a message that the group general manager Jeff Ireland put together and coach Joe Philbin is developing has begun to show signs that good days are ahead.

Follow the Dolphins, Bucs and Jaguars, along with Florida’s 16 college football teams on the gridiron at Florida Football Central, a weekly update of scores and schedules.

WATCH FOR the Florida State-Florida volleyball rivalry, which has been a little lopsided over the last decade, to be a close one on Tuesday night at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.

But since Chris Poole took over as FSU’s head coach in 2008, he has worked diligently to close the gap between the Seminoles and perennial national contender Gators.

In two of the last four NCAA postseasons, the Seminoles have advanced farther than the Gators in the tournament, making a run to the quarterfinals in 2009 and semifinals in 2011.

Last year, the Seminoles finally broke through and snapped a 21-match losing streak to Florida with a 3-0 victory — their first win against UF since Oct. 31, 1994.

The No. 16 Seminoles (6-3) are fresh off Saturday’s five-set victory against No. 7 Michigan — their highest-ranked win in school history, and will look to improve on that accomplishment when they visit the No. 5 Gators (8-1) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Gators only loss came to then- No. 1 Penn State.

WATCH FOR the Independent Softball Association (ISA) to host its C, D, & E World Series in Polk County over the three-day weekend.  More than 80 qualifying adult softball teams from all across the United States are expected to travel to Polk County for ISA’s biggest adult tournament of the year. The Auburndale Softball Complex and DiamondPlex in Winter Haven will serve as hosts for the tournament.

In a LOOK BACK, congratulations to the Daytona Cubs for winning the 2013 Florida State League Championships over the Charlotte Stone Crabs and the Orlando City Soccer Lions for their win in the USL Pro Championships over the Charlotte Eagles.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What to Watch For This Week in Florida Sports (October 22-28, 2012)

NHL on hold – No action for Lightning and Panthers until at least November 2

The current absence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Player’s Association and the NHL has cancelled a pre-season and three regular season games at the BB&T Center for the Florida Panthers.  The Tampa Bay Lightning has lost one pre-season and four regular season games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The National Hockey League announced Friday the cancellation of the 2012-13 regular-season schedule through November 1. A total of 135 regular-season games were scheduled for Oct. 11 through Nov. 1.

In his Lightning Strikes blog in the Tampa Bay Times, Damien Cristadero writes.  “It still leaves open the possibility of an 82-game schedule if the owners and Players’ Association can come to a quick resolution on a collective bargaining agreement and get training camps opened by Oct. 26.”

Detroit Tigers advance to 9^th World Series since calling Lakeland home for Spring Training

The Detroit Tigers began their 2012 season on March 3 with a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista.  The following day, the Braves visited Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland and were on the wrong end of an 18-3 loss to the Tigers.

The Tigers make their 12^th overall World Series appearance on Wednesday night against a still to be determined opponent.  It marks their ninth trip to the World Series since their inaugural spring training in Lakeland of 1934.

Game One of the 2012 World Series against the Cardinals/Giants will be the Tigers 200^th game of the season. The 2012 Florida Grapefruit League season was the Tigers 77^th in Lakeland.  It is the longest spring training partnership between a team and host community in Major League Baseball.

All boats lead to Fort Lauderdale

The 53^rd Annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show will fill the waterways of South Florida from October 25-29 with more than 100,000 visitors/participants in Broward County.

The show has a $500 million economic impact in South Florida and attracts about 100,000 attendees annually, and this year runs from Thursday through Oct. 29 at six city sites.

A South Florida Sun-Sentinel article reported, the increased business locals as Fort Lauderdale’s Doris the Florist is seeing an uptick in requests this year for floral arrangements for boat show pre-parties, yacht interior décor and exhibitor booths, owner Doris McGee said. “This year is better than it was last year.” The show generates about 25 percent of yearly business, McGee said.

A 30 percent spike in demand for show accommodations in 2012 could bode well for area hotels, restaurants and transportation companies.

“The boat show brings a tremendous amount of business for us,” said Freddy Bousquet, general manager of Oasis Café on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The State of Florida has over 900,000 registered boats in its waterways and ranks first among nationwide boat registrations.

Florida’s Heat and Magic ready to tip off for 2012-13

The Orlando Magic and NBA Champion Miami Heat play their final pre-season games of the 2012-13 season Friday when the Magic host the Houston Rockets at Amway Arena and the Heat host the New Orleans Hornets at the American Airlines Arena.  The Heat open the regular season on Tuesday, October 30 against the Boston Celtics and the Magic’s regular season home opener is Friday, November 2 against the Denver Nuggets.

Both the Magic and Heat advanced to the 2012 Playoffs as the Magic finished with a 37-29 record.  Tthe Heat recorded a 46-20 regular season record before defeating the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics in the playoffs and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals in five games.

On Monday, October 29, the Magic will host an Open House Practice that is free and open to the public.  Doors open at the Amway Arena at 6:30 p.m. and the program for the evening begins at 6:45.  The event features an opportunity for fans to see players and coaches prepare for opening night, performances by the Magic Dancers and Stuff, ticket offers available for one night only and concession and team store specials.

In the 2011 Florida Specialty License Plate Rankings, the Heat, with their current success, were ranked 12^th in the State of Florida, of 120 total specialty plates, with over 25,000 sold.

Counting down to 2012 Florida International Senior Games & State Championship

Only three more local qualifiers remain for senior athletes to qualify for the 2012 Florida International Senior Games and State Championships.

 

Ormond Beach Senior Games
October 20–28, 2012

Martin County Senior Games
November 2–11, 2012

Golden Age Games
November 10–17, 2012

Over 400 athletes, age 50 and over, have currently registered for the 2012 Games to be held in Polk County, December 1-9, with action in 22 sports and events.  Three Sunshine State Games events will be held in conjunction with the Florida Senior Games competitions as Badminton, Powerlifting and a 5K Road Race will be held in Lakeland on Sunday, December 2 (Badminton) and Saturday, December 8 (Powerlifting and Road Race).

Total participation for the annual Florida International Senior Games & State Championships, now in its 21^st year, should reach 40,000 this year.

The 2012 Games are a qualifier for the 2013 National Senior Games, to be held in Cleveland Ohio, July 21-August 4, 2013.

What to Watch For This Week In Florida Sports, will be published each Monday by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy.  Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports.