from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune,

Back in the good, old days of the Florida Panthers — when they were only six years removed from going to the Stanley Cup Finals and trying to kiss up to fans after trading superstar Pavel Bure — the Panthers tried mightily to put butts in the seats.

If you were a cop or fireman or any kind of first responder, freebie. If you had a military ID, freebie. If you showed up at the box office with a driver’s license from, say, Plantation or Boca Raton on a certain promo day … freebie.

Head to a car dealership, tickets would sit on the front counter. Have lunch near the Panthers’ palace of an arena, four free tickets might come with your meal. Go shopping at Sawgrass Mills, you’d surely run into a Panthers account rep with a stack of tickets.

This may be stunning to hear, but it didn’t take long for season-ticket holders to become a wee bit incensed with the Panthers’ practice of flooding the marketplace with freebies and deeply discounted tickets. Imagine spending $2,500 for lower-bowl seats right next to a family of four every night who didn’t pay a penny.

continued plus more NHL talk in Russo's NHL Insider column...