There’s no doubt that the Florida Panthers have disappointed this season. After taking first place in the Atlantic last year with the franchise’s first 100-point season, Florida has had a middling 2016-17.
Panthers fans, especially, have taken notice with the team’s decline and are not happy about it. So much so that someone rented a plane to fly the words "Rowe must go! Call him a cab!" above the BB&T Center before the Panthers game on Monday.
There is a plane flying around #FlaPanthers arena, BB&T Center, with a flag that says "Rowe must go! Call him a cab!" pic.twitter.com/FMp1aa26dL
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) April 3, 2017
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) April 3, 2017
The “call him a cab” part is in reference to the firing of former head coach Gerard Gallant, who was seen hailing a taxi in Raleigh after being let go in November.
The anger is directed at Tom Rowe, the general manager and current head coach of the Panthers. Rowe has put together an extremely good young core of Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, but hasn’t filled in the gaps with compatible talent.
Rowe recently called out the Panthers for their work ethic over the past few weeks, saying that the players signed long-term aren’t safe from trades in the future.