from Neil Archarya at NHL.com,

When Tallon was hired by the Florida Panthers in May 2010, the ownership group hailed his arrival as the beginning of a new chapter in club history. With his team heading into the final five weeks of the season with a very real possibility of earning a playoff berth for the first time in 12 years, Tallon is inching closer to putting his stamp on what he prefers to call “the first act.”

“We are in the first phase of what we are trying to accomplish,” he said. “I would say it’s a three-phase situation and let’s say it’s Act 1 and we are ahead of schedule.”

Tallon had no small task when he joined the team. The last Panthers’ playoff appearance was in 2000, the longest drought in the League.

“Our fans in Florida have suffered,” he said. “I have gone through this before in Chicago. You can’t do it quick, you just have to be patient and do the right thing. It just can’t happen overnight.”

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