Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo (1) talks to fans about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prior to an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers have honored victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a somber video tribute before their game against the Washington Capitals.
The arena video screen Thursday night showed the names and faces of each of the 17 students who were killed on Valentine’s Day in nearby Parkland. The darkened ice was then illuminated with 17 circles of light, with a student’s name inside each one.
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, a Parkland resident, gave an emotional statement about the bravery of those who lost their lives trying to save others and how inspiring the students have been coping with the tragedy.
Players from both teams stood for the ceremony, some wiping tears from their eyes.
It was the first home game for the Panthers since the tragedy. They had been on a road trip in Canada for the past 11 days.
Florida players will wear Marjory Stoneman Douglas logos on their helmets and MSD uniform patches for the remainder of the season.
The tribute was hosted by Panthers announcer Randy Moller.
“You guys are an inspiration to all of us. At the end of the day, you guys are what’s giving us hope for the future.” -Roberto Luongo.
Full Speech » https://t.co/uR3ZA5Wynv pic.twitter.com/qTLj6n8YKz
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 23, 2018
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