Coach Bob Boughner has used the legacy of the great All Blacks to inspire the Florida Panthers. Photo / Getty
Coach Bob Boughner has used the legacy of the great All Blacks to inspire the Florida Panthers. Photo / Getty
The Florida Panthers have embraced the All Blacks as role models of sporting culture.
Panthers coach Bob Boughner first inspired his NHL team after reading the book "Legacy," which explains the guiding principles behind the success of the All Blacks.
After reading the book, Boughner inscribed words and slogans on the team's locker room walls and delivered a presentation to explain how the messages were inspired to emulate the winning culture of the All Blacks.
"For me, it symbolises culture, an identity and team vision," Boughner told the Sun Sentinel.
The All Blacks have inspired a new culture for the Florida Panthers. Photo / Photosport
"It's just about doing the right things on and off the ice."
Defenceman Michael Matheson said he had been in locker rooms where motivational messages served more as decoration than inspiration, but that the Panthers wanted to change that culture.
"They're almost corny sometimes, but you can tell that there is a reason for every single word that's up in our locker room," he said.
"Their outlook is, you don't always want to be positive," Matheson said of the All Blacks.
"They're looking for guys when stuff goes wrong, how do they handle it? Do they crumble or stay calm and work through it?"
Michael Matheson said their locker room messages now hold a special meaning to the team. Photo / Getty
But for the Panthers, the All Black legacy doesn't stop at locker room messages.
In light of the NHL's long-standing tradition, the Panthers keep hold of a special Maori All Blacks jersey which is awarded to the player of the game to wear proudly post-match.
Matherson said from the time they began implementing the All Black name and culture, they have been able to erase all negativity from their past season disappointments.
"When you think of the All Blacks and the success they've had, you can tell that they're building an environment where nobody really cares about how many points they get or whether they're the one that scores the goal" he said.
"What they really care about is how many trophies they've won as a team. That's obviously what we're trying to implement here."
The Panthers had some tough seasons, but in light of the ups and downs, Boughner said he would continue to use the All Blacks as a guiding premise to bring the team together.
The Panthers currently sit in fifth out of eight teams in the Atlantic Division, with the top three teams qualifying for the playoffs.
