from Craig Davis of the SunSentinel,

The star attraction was a no-show Tuesday for a gala invitation-only debut at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. While firetrucks waited in position to salute the plane's arrival with water cannons, Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko had the embarrassing task of informing the crowd that the Eastern Airlines jet with a huge Panthers logo on the tail was grounded in Miami due to an "administrative snafu."

It was viewed as a minor delay by aviation standards. The plane is expected to be ready for a more important debut Saturday when it is to fly the Panthers to Nashville to begin the preseason against the Predators on Sunday.

While the ceremony flopped, Luukko branded the event a great day for the advantage the Panthers will have in avoiding delays and flying in comfort during the season in their own customized aircraft, a rarity for an NHL team.

"It's not only a great thing for the franchise, but it's going to save wear and tear on the bodies of our players. It gets us to games quicker, it enables us to do rehab on the plane," general manager Dale Tallon said. "It's just an advantage that our team will have over a lot of other teams."...

The interior of the plane was configured according to the needs of the team specified by Tallon and coach Gerard Gallant. In addition to 64 business-class seats, there are tables for meetings and a training area for players to receive treatment for injuries.

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