Florida Panthers’ team president and CEO Matthew Caldwell is set to leave the organization after 11 years to become the CEO of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, per David Dwork of The Hockey News. The report was confirmed by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Additionally, former NHL pro Shawn Thornton announced he will step down from his role as Florida’s Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to join the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks as a Senior Vice President and Chief Partnership Officer. Thornton joined Florida’s executive staff in 2017.
These moves stand as two major changes to the Panthers’ top level of business management. Caldwell joined the Panthers in 2014, amid some of their darkest years. He quickly took to a litany of responsibilities, and earned a promotion from Chief Operating Officer (COO) to CEO after just two years with the organization. He was 36 at the time. In the boosted role, Caldwell was able to take on efforts that helped to reshape the Panthers from an NHL bottom-dweller to a modern dynasty.
Caldwell played an instrumental role in the formation of Florida’s lauded front office and coaching staff. He supported the team to a franchise record in ticket sales, TV viewership, and sponsorship revenue and led the hiring of then-rookie general manager Bill Zito. Caldwell also supported the sale of local media rights to Bally Sports in 2022, Florida’s arena naming rights to Amerant Bank in 2023, and additional media sales to Scripps Sports in 2024. The trio of deals expanded coverage of Panthers hockey across Florida.
Success in the Sunshine State was only a small part of Caldwell’s career. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served five years as a Captain in the U.S. Army. During that time, he oversaw combat operations in Iraq, peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, and soldier training in Germany. He received numerous accolades for that service. Caldwell turned towards a career on Wall Street after his military duty concluded, taking on the role of Vice President with Goldman Sachs. He also attended the Northwestern University School of Law for his J.D. and MBA degrees. The Panthers cover Caldwell’s accomplishments more in depth on their website.
Now, Caldwell will join the Timberwolves and Lynx on the heels of their sale to Marc Lore and former MLB legend Alex Rodrigues. In doing so, he will continue to sustain an illustrious career that Panthers Owner Vincent Viola knows…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Pro Hockey Rumors…