Rink Spotlight: Baptist Health IcePlex at FTL War Memorial
In December 2023, the Florida Panthers held their first practice at a freshly renovated building in Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park. Six months later, they hoisted the Stanley Cup. A year after that, they did it again.
Their practice home is the Baptist Health IcePlex at FTL War Memorial — and it might be the best overall rink experience in South Florida, NHL connection or not.
Here’s what to know.
The Basics
- Where: 800 NE 8th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
- Phone: (954) 828-5380
- Web: ftlwarmemorial.com
- Opened to public: March 2024
- Size: 144,000 sq ft, two NHL-regulation sheets
1. You Can Watch the Panthers Practice — For Free
The headline draw is simple: the back-to-back Stanley Cup champs practice here, and fans can watch.
The Panthers’ sheet has stadium seating for up to 1,000, and team practices are free and open to the public. Check the team’s practice schedule (it’s published in advance during the season), walk in, sit down. You’ll see Tkachuk, Barkov, Bobrovsky, and the rest going through their work — Cup banners hanging overhead.
There’s not another NHL practice facility in South Florida — anywhere in the league, really — that lets you do this. If you’ve never gone, go.
2. The Building Has a Story
War Memorial Auditorium opened in 1950 as a music venue and tribute to local veterans. Buddy Holly played there. Hector Camacho fought there. U.S. presidents stopped by.
By the late 2010s, it had fallen into disrepair. In 2021, the Panthers broke ground on a $65M-plus revitalization (the final number ran higher). Architecture by ROSSETTI, build by Lemartec, naming rights to Baptist Health South Florida. The community rink, restaurant, retail store, and Panthers practice rink all opened to the public in March 2024.
Two sheets of ice, a 1950s landmark, and a Stanley Cup organization, all under one roof.
3. What’s On the Ice
The community sheet runs a full menu of programs:
- Adult hockey leagues, multiple skill levels
- Learn to Play hockey for kids and adults
- Public skating sessions
- Figure skating lessons and freestyle ice
- Five curling lanes for the curious
The Panthers’ sheet also hosts youth tournaments and other community events when the team isn’t using it.
4. Open Hockey & Drop-In
The current drop-in offerings, per the rink’s calendar:
- Saturday — Stick & Puck
- Sunday — Stick & Puck
Times rotate seasonally, so always pull up ftlwarmemorial.com/hockey/hockey-drop-in-calendar before you load the car.
5. Off the Ice
This is where the IcePlex separates itself from every other rink in South Florida:
- Florida Panthers flagship retail store — 7,500 sq ft of jerseys, equipment, and figure skating supplies
- Public restaurant overlooking Holiday Park
- Pantherland — interactive kids’ area
- Renovated War Memorial Auditorium next door for concerts and events
- Free parking in the Holiday Park lot
You can drop a kid at a Learn to Play session, watch through the glass while eating actual food, and shop for fresh tape on the way out. Try doing that at any other rink in SoFlo.
6. Who Plays Here
The mix is wider than any other rink in town. Pro players. Youth travel teams. Beer leaguers. Figure skaters. Curlers. Tourists who wandered in from the beach two miles east and bought their kid a pair of rental skates.
The vibe is more “downtown destination” than “industrial-park rink.” That comes with a tradeoff: parking and crowd levels run higher than at older rinks, especially on Panthers practice days and event nights at the Auditorium. Plan accordingly.
7. The Bottom Line
If you live east of I-95 in Broward, this is your rink. If you live anywhere in tri-county and you’ve never watched an NHL practice from up close — make the trip once. The Panthers practice schedule is public, the seating is free, and you’ll see the best players in the league working on the small things.
Just don’t try to find parking ten minutes before they hit the ice.
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