Panthers Honor Victims of Parkland High School Shooting

A moment of silence was held before the game.

The Panthers honored victims of the Valentines Day mass shooting with a moment of silence before their game against the Capitals on Thursday.

It's Florida's first home game since the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people. 

In addition to the moment of silence, players wore "MSD" patches to honor the school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. There was a pregame ceremony, a blood drive and other fundraisers throughout the day. 

#MSDStrong pic.twitter.com/RpfRAvjRGU

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 18, 2018

Roberto Luongo also addressed the crowd before the game got underway.

Roberto Luongo, a Parkland resident, with a really powerful speech before the Panthers/ Capitals game pic.twitter.com/eDoqFUixZQ

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 23, 2018

Florida's BB&T Center is less than 15 miles from Stoneman Douglas, and the practice center is less than four miles away. Some players live in Parkland have kids who attend schools nearby. Goaltender Roberto Luongo's son was in lockdown in a closet during the ordeal, according to NHL.com