The roof opens, fireworks shoot and fake snow falls as the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers lineup next to the temporary rink at Miami’s loanDepot Park for the NHL Winter Classic, Jan. 2, 2026.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Some call him the maestro of Florida Panthers game day. Mike Masino controls the sights and sounds inside Amerant Bank Arena as the vice president of game entertainment and operations.

In the early 1970s, many biologists feared they were chasing nothing more than a “walking ghost.” The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), which once roamed across the entire Southeastern United ...