The relationship between the Florida Panthers and actor Kevin Spacey is one of the oddest, yet most delightful stories of the season.
What began with the adoption of the "Spacey in Space" hoodie as the reward given to the player of the game came to a head Saturday when the Oscar-winning thespian revealed himself to a record-setting and raucous BB&T Center crowd.
It leads us to wonder what other teams could adopt a random celebrity as their own. Here are five suggestions, all from the world of Netflix in keeping with Spacey's hugely popular role as Frank Underwood on "House of Cards."
The star of "Orange Is The New Black" is without question a Flyers fan in waiting.
Yes, Schilling was born in Boston, and plays a character named Piper Chapman, who, prior to being sentenced to 15 months in prison, ran an artisanal bath soap business in Brooklyn.
This doesn't exactly reek of Flyers' fandom, but above and beyond the obvious color scheme tie-in, the increasingly tough on-screen persona developed by Schilling hearkens back to the days of the Broad Street Bullies in Philadelphia.
This might be the boost needed to propel the Flyers into the playoffs.
Only weeks ago, Chandler - of "Friday Night Lights" fame - could very well have been hitched to Carolina or Vancouver, but the New York Rangers are currently the best fit for his services as a result of brothers Eric Staal and Marc Staal teaming up on Broadway.
Chandler - a Buffalo native - plays John Rayburn on "Bloodline," a local sheriff who's also tasked with upholding the family name as brother Danny runs wild and finds himself in hot water.
We won't spoil anything here, but hopefully Chandler could inspire the Staal brothers to put aside any sibling rivalries - or any lingering resentment from an injurious hit levied by Eric on Marc in 2011 - and work towards mutual success as opposed to, well, a darker alternative.
At present, Henson is living large as a co-star on the wildly popular "Daredevil" series. But prior to being known for his role as Foggy Nelson, Henson made a name for himself by playing Fulton Reed, a key player in Disney's "Mighty Ducks" trilogy.
The Mighty Ducks nickname, of course, carried over to the NHL with the inception of an NHL franchise in Anaheim in 1993. This year's Ducks are mighty, and could certainly use the grit demonstrated by Henson as a hockey player and the smarts Henson displays as a lawyer in Hell's Kitchen.
Plus, he could be shown on the scoreboard and lead the crowd in a chant of "quack, quack, quack."
As Michael Bluth in "Arrested Development," Bateman plays the one son who had no choice but to keep a wealthy family together after they lost everything.
The term "arrested development" was used as a title for the show in reference to the Bluth's collective failures in terms of basic grow and development. In NHL terms, that's a perfect metaphor for the Edmonton Oilers, who are somehow in the running to "win" a fifth first overall draft pick in the past seven years.
The Oilers haven't played a single playoff game since Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, and there's no guarantee they'll get back to that level as early as next season.
No one's going to top that.
In "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," Kemper - who plays the titular character - emerges from an underground bunker after 15 years in captivity and, brimming with positivity, decides to restart her life in New York.
A similar emergence is beginning in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs teardown and rebuild is beginning to show glimpses of hope for a brighter future.
Yes, there will likely still be moments of pain ahead, and not everything will go as smoothly as planned, but the fan base is accepting of the process and willing to keep an expectant smile regardless.
Also, Kemper would remind Leafs fans that sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying along the way.
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The Philadelphia Flyers will have to make the playoffs without Michal Neuvirth.
A lower-body injury will cost the often-injured goaltender the rest of the season, the Flyers announced Sunday. And that means the crease belongs to Steve Mason, now in his fourth season in orange and white.
The Flyers are three points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with two games in hand. Where it gets tricky: Philadelphia has four back-to-back scenarios out of their 12 remaining games. They'll play March 21 and 22, April 2 and 3, April 6 and 7, and April 9 and 10.
Based on his track record at this time of year, Mason can get the job done.
| Season | Month | SV% | Starts | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | April | .944 | 6 | 4 |
| 2013-14 | March | .917 | 12 | 8 |
| 2013-14 | April | .935 | 4 | 2 |
| 2014-15 | March | .931 | 11 | 3 |
| 2014-15 | April | .933 | 4 | 3 |
| 2015-16 | March | .917 | 6 | 4 |
Mason's played some great hockey down the stretch as a Flyer.
"We haven't really been blessed with an easy schedule here to finish off," Mason said, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac. "We've all got to come here ready to have a real strong push in these last few weeks of the season. It's tough with the back-to-backs, but you've just got to take care of yourself and get your rest.
"I'm gonna do everything I can to give this team as much goaltending as they need."
Neuvirth will be missed. He's had a stellar season, and his .925 save percentage is in the top five among all NHL goalies. But Mason can get the Flyers to the promised land. Hopefully, based on the Flyers' remaining schedule, he gets enough sleep.
"I feel really good about my game," Mason added. "You always prepare to play every single game. That's just what I'm going to continue to do here."
Backing up Mason will be 22-year-old Anthony Stolarz, who, based on the unforgiving schedule, will likely see some action in the crease. He's never played in the NHL.
"He'll be ready to go, he'll be ready to play when we need him to go in," head coach Dave Hakstol said.
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The Minnesota Wild are bigger than Thomas Vanek. And Vanek knows it.
Vanek will be a healthy scratch again Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks, as the Wild continue on their quest to make the playoffs. The 32-year-old forward watched from the press box Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, despite being third on the team in goals (18) and fourth in points (41).
Vanek hasn't talked to Torch: "We're trying to win games and if that's what he thinks is the best lineup, I've got to respect that" #mnwild
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) March 20, 2016
"Am I happy about it? Of course not," Vanek added, according to the Star Tribune's Michael Russo. "I still feel like I can make a difference in this league. I'm not going to get frustrated here or be negative. I'll just work hard and wait for my chance ... and make a difference."
Vanek started the season strong, with 19 points in his first 22 games. He scored only four goals in 27 games in December and January, and has only four goals and eight assists in 21 games since the All-Star break.
The Austrian's under contract through next season at a cap hit of $6.5 million.
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Sam Bennett is returning from an upper-body injury in time to play his first game in one of hockey's most storied cities.
The Calgary Flames forward, who's been sidelined since March 9, missing four games, will play Sunday in Montreal, much to his delight.
"I'm excited," Bennett said after the morning skate. "It's my first time at the Bell Centre."
The 19-year-old, who spent his junior hockey a few hours drive from Montreal, has 15 goals and 17 assists this season.
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