Jet Blue Get Naming Rights to Florida Panthers Practice Facility

National Hockey League’s (NHL) Florida Panthers have become the ninth NHL team to add a sponsor patch to their practice jersey  when they announced an expansion of a three-year partnership with the airline JetBlue, which has become a major player in South Florida and the Caribbean.

In addition, JetBlue added naming rights to the Panthers’ practice facility at Saveology.com Iceplex.

“JetBlue has become a national brand, it’s one of the leading brands in the sky. They’re one of our pillar partners,” said Michael Yormark, president and COO of the Panthers and Sunrise Sports & Entertainment. “We wanted to package the practice jersey with the training facility [naming rights], and we just felt they were the perfect fit for us.”

Although those in the Caribbean and Latin America are more likely to associate ice with boat drinks than hockey, a JetBlue spokesman said the partnership has also been beneficial to the airline in its expansion throughout the region.

“The relationship is larger than hockey. It includes BankAtlantic Center and all of the events that go on every year there,” said Rick Pineda, senior analyst of national sponsorships for JetBlue.

“You have to look at demographic of folks who go to hockey games: families, very opulent, a lot of times looking for travel destinations for vacations,” he said. “This affords us a great opportunity to touch those folks and teach them about some of the destinations we have in the Caribbean.”

As part of the agreement, the JetBlue Tarmac and JetBlue Tailfin will continue to be featured at BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers also will conduct a youth hockey clinic in Puerto Rico later this year, Yormark said.