Panthers and NHL strive to grow hockey in Latino communities

By ALANIS THAMES

SUNRISE — The spark in Leo Jungerman's eyes as he watched his first hockey game was different.

He had tried other sports, such as football and tennis, his father Alex said. But a hockey game with the Toronto Marlies – the minor league team of the Toronto Maple Leafs – is where an 8-year-old Leo's love for the sport really began.

“When we watched the game, I spent a lot of time watching him,” Alex Jungerman said, “and it was quite fascinating. So when he showed interest in trying the game, I jumped in.”

Alex, who had moved from Brazil to Florida with his family that year in 2015, started looking for youth hockey programs for Leo, who knew nothing about hockey and couldn't even skate.

That's when he came across the Florida Panthers Learn to Play initiative: a program designed to introduce boys and girls to hockey while lowering barriers to entry into the sport. It's part of the Panthers' overall efforts to grow the game in untapped communities, especially the fast-growing Hispanic market.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 30% of Florida residents are Latino, which is higher than the national average of about 19%. There are more than 500,000 Spanish-speaking residents in Broward County, Florida, where the Panthers' Amerant Bank Arena is located. That number rises to more than 1.7 million in neighboring Miami-Dade, Florida's most populous county.

“Florida's demographics clearly indicate that connecting with the Latino community is extremely important,” said Rob Knesaurek, senior vice president of community development and industry growth at the NHL. “They are deeply rooted in the sport. Why wouldn't they choose our sport?”

Knesaurek added that the NHL is being more intentional about popularizing the sport in Latino communities, where the league has not traditionally been proactive. That started with league-wide efforts to connect with Hispanic fans and people in underserved communities, and has trickled down to grassroots initiatives by individual teams.

The NHL and NHL Player's Association Industry Growth Fund has spent more than $180 million over the past decade on programs that bring hockey to communities across North America. It focuses largely on combating barriers of access and cost.

Through the fund, many clubs can provide a fixed, affordable amount for equipment and lessons – some offer them for free – and coaches who speak both Spanish and English.

Alex Jungerman estimated he spent about $300 for the Panthers' Learn to Play program. Leo was given full equipment, including skates and six lessons, to begin his hockey journey.

Instructors could translate hockey language into the Jungermans. Leo said the Panthers made him feel welcome, especially at times when learning hockey was scary.

“There were several times I wanted to quit, especially because of the skating,” Leo said, “it's like balancing your entire body weight on two little edges. It's hard to learn.”

He stuck with it. Now 16, he is a member of Florida's Junior Panthers travel hockey team.

“Leo is just a perfect example of a family that could have easily walked away from this if they didn't feel welcome or part of it,” said John Colombo, the Panthers' vice president of community relations. “And I think that is important. I think too often hockey culture gets the reputation of being very exclusive.”

Overall, the NHL said more than $4 million in Industry Growth Fund grants have been provided to support the Panthers' initiatives to grow the game.

The team's Floorball PE program has reached more than 300,000 students at 450 Florida schools, introducing children to the sport and the Panthers brand with the goal of creating lifelong fans.

The Panthers hold a mid-season “¡Vamos Gatos!” night, which celebrates South Florida's Hispanic and Latino community. They have hosted the LATAM Cup – a three-day tournament featuring Latin American and Caribbean countries – since its inception in 2018. And they've also expanded into the entertainment arena, inviting more Hispanic and Latino artists to perform at the Amerant Bank Arena. The arena hosted the 2020 Latin Billboard Music Awards and the 2021 Latin American Music Awards.

“(We) are not looking for the next NHLer,” Knesaurek said. “What we're looking for is building good, healthy, vibrant communities through good citizens.”

The Panthers' recent success on the ice has certainly contributed to their popularity. Florida has a 3-1 lead over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, which the Panthers are competing in for the second year in a row.

“The popularity of the sport and the way the team has progressed over the last three or four years, I think you'll see an uptick,” said Bryan Smolinski, a former NHL player and regional director of the league's industry growth fund .

Hispanic and Latino participation in the Florida Learn to Play program increased 15% from 2023 to 2024.

Leo Jungerman was featured on the team's first Learn to Play poster in 2015. The Jungermans hung that poster at the entrance to their home as a reminder of how far he has come.

“We make sure that everyone who enters the house for the first time, we stop in front of the poster. We explain the story,” said Alex Jungerman. “We are really proud.”