Despite ranking 24th in Forbes' recent list of NHL franchise values, the Panthers are weathering the lockout just fine. Sunrise Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Panthers, has a favourable arena deal and brings in musical acts to the BB&T Center. Aeorsmith, Lady Gaga and Pink are just a few of the acts that have or will be preforming in Broward which generates a tremendous amount of revenue for the Cats' owners. There will be no tag days in Broward County anytime soon.

Stephen Weiss doesn't want to talk contract with the Florida Panthers until his present deal expires, but he would like to remain with the organization for the long term. He has one year remaining before becoming an unrestricted free agent. "I want to end my career with the Panthers," Weiss said. "This organization has been very good to me. We're starting to see brighter days ahead with the kids we have coming up and some of the draft picks we've stockpiled. There's nothing but good days ahead for this team. I believe that. I would like to stay and be a part of it. But at the end of the day, this is a business. And if it comes time to move on, maybe that's the case too." Weiss just wants to focus on playing and he doesn't want negotiations to become a distraction, so he wants to put contract talks on hold until the summer. GM Dale Tallon isn't concerned that Weiss will leave. The Florida center said he would like to play in Europe, but because of his contract situation he's going to stay put.

Stephen Weiss plans to wait a few weeks before he starts to consider other playing options. Several players have been quick to head overseas to resume playing during the lockout, while others have remained close to their team cities in the hope that there will be some headway made in CBA negotiations.

Florida's rookie camp has been cancelled due to labor agreement uncertainty. The Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning were set to compete in the tournament along with the Panthers. The CBA negotiation process has wiped out several of these rookie showcases already and a potential lockout of NHL players could be coming next unless a deal can be reached prior to September 15th.

Panthers will likely offer Stephen Weiss a long-term deal "in the near future," according to The Miami Herald's George Richards. The 29-year-old has a year remaining on what was a six-year deal he signed in 2007, and discussions have already begun on a new contract. Weiss had 20 goals and 37 assists last season, and he's considered a candidate to be Florida's next captain.

The Panthers are happy with Stephen Weiss, but they're not ready to talk about signing him to an extension yet. Weiss still has a season remaining on his six-year/$18.6 million deal. He had 20 goals and 57 points in 80 games this season. "I'm so proud of him," Panthers GM Dale Tallon said. "The first phone call I made the day I got the job was to him. I asked him what his thoughts were and he wanted to be involved and I think for him to get to the playoffs and have a bright future here in this organization, I'm really happy for Stephen. He showed a lot of character and class all year. Since I've been with him for two years, I can't say enough about how he's handled things. He's been a world-class kid." He could be inline for a significant raise, so while inking him to an extension isn't an urgent issue, it is something they should probably explore over the summer.

Stephen Weiss had a goal, but the Florida Panthers were ousted from the playoffs with a 3-2 double-overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 on Thursday. The Panthers were in a hole in the third period, down 2-0 and playing for their lives. Credit to them for putting forth a spirited rally to tie the game and force overtime, though, beginning with Weiss' power-play marker. Marcel Goc had the other goal, also on the man advantage. Brian Campbell, Mikael Samuelsson, Sean Bergenheim and Jason Garrison had the assists.

Despite losing 4-0 in New Jersey the other night, Panthers alternate captain Stephen Weiss insists his team is upbeat about the team's prospects today and in the rest of the opening-round playoff series. "It's great," Weiss said of the team's mood. "We're happy to be home. We expected [the series to be even] there's no easy matchups, especially in the playoffs." Saturday's game is pivotal enough that Devils star forward Ilya Kovalchuk firmly predicted that the winner of Game 5 would win the series. History backs up Kovalchuk's statement. Teams winning Game 5 in a tied series ending up winning the series nearly 80 per cent of the time.

Stephen Weiss scored his first two goals of the playoffs in a 4-2 win over the Devils Sunday. After more than 600 career games with the organization without reaching the postseason, Weiss is finally getting his first taste of the playoffs. Marcel Goc also enjoyed a productive day with a goal and an assist of his own. Tomas Fleischmann also found the back of the net in the victory.

Stephen Weiss had played in 637 NHL games without appearing in a playoff game before Friday night. Friday night was Weiss' first taste of the post-season in his nine-year career. The longest such streak in the NHL at the moment is 715 games, enjoyed by Weiss' former teammate, Jay Bouwmeester. Let's see if Weiss makes the most of his first playoff opportunity. His team needs his offence if they are to avoid going down 2-0 in the series in their home arena.