The Florida Panthers have been awarded the 2021 NHL All-Star Game, sources told The Athletic's George Richards.

The warm weather of South Florida should delight players and media members alike. This year's All-Star Game is being held in St. Louis, where it's 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-5 degrees Celsius) as of Tuesday morning.

"Nothing against other places around the league, but we're talking about January in Florida," said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. "This is where guys want to be."

Center Vincent Trocheck echoed Ekblad's statement.

"An All-Star Game on the beach? That is awesome," he said. "With the sun and our weather, it is a vacation destination already."

The Panthers have hosted the event once before, in 2003, when Dany Heatley scored four goals.

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