Latest news with #E11even
Miami Herald
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
‘I ain't ... leaving,' Panthers' Sam Bennett says at Miami nightclub celebration
The Florida Panthers continued their Stanley Cup championship celebration Thursday night into Friday morning by traveling south to Miami for a night at E11even, a world-famous nightclub where they also partied after their first title a year ago. Amid the frenzied party — which included Sam Reinhart climbing a stripper pole, Brad Marchand crowd surfing and, yes, plenty of booze flowing — a key player might have revealed big news regarding his future with the team. Center Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoffs MVP and is slated to become a free agent on July 1, told the crowd from the main stage that he intends to stay with the team long-term. 'I ain't [expletive] leaving!' Bennett proclaimed to the crowd partying with the team. Now, nothing is official on a deal just yet, but Bennett is a player the Panthers are prioritizing bringing back. He has been an identity player for the franchise during the past few years with his combination of physicality and scoring touch embodying the exact style of play Florida has been honing for three years under coach Paul Maurice. His stellar postseason — he led the league with 15 goals while also finishing second with 107 hits — made for the case that his price tag could skyrocket if he chooses to test the open market. But Bennett has found a home in Florida and saw a career resurgence here. After struggling to take off to start his career with the Calgary Flames, Bennett thrived when given an expanded opportunity with the Panthers. Bennett has put up 196 points (95 goals, 101 assists) over 289 regular-season games while laying out 616 hits and blocking 151 shots. In the playoffs, Bennett has 29 goals and 59 points in 77 career games for the Panthers. For comparison, Bennett had just 140 points (67 goals, 73 assists) in 402 games in Calgary. He also knows their window to contend for titles is still wide open. 'It's harder than I ever imagined to win the Stanley Cup once and twice was even harder,' Bennett said Tuesday after Florida secured the win. 'It's a huge honor to be a part of this group. I'm not going to take it for granted. I love being here, and I love this team. It's a remarkable team to be part of, just from the whole the staff to the players to the management, owner, the coaches, like truly, everyone is world class here.' And if he holds true to his word from Thursday night, he's not going anywhere. In addition to Bennett, Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are Florida's other key players set to enter free agency. The Panthers only have $19 million in cap space, but president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said he sees a path where all three could be re-signed. Meanwhile, for a glimpse of how things went down at E11ven, look below. The party will surely continue throughout town over the next couple days before the team's official parade on Sunday.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
MDSO deputy accused of choking woman he met at E11even Miami cleared of charges
A Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputy accused of attacking a woman he met at the popular Miami nightclub E11even in late April is now cleared of his criminal charges. On Monday, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office announced 54-year-old Lt. Daniel Chala would not be prosecuted due to the victim's not cooperating with the police investigation. 'After numerous attempts to get the victim to cooperate with the SAO for the necessary pre-filing conference (a necessary part of every filed felony prosecution), the victim refused to assist with the case investigation. This resulted in the dropping of the pending criminal case,' said the statement released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. READ MORE: Miami-Dade deputy accused of attacking woman he met at E11even nightclub, police say On April 28, Chala was taken into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional on charges of battery and false imprisonment. Earlier that morning, Miami Police were called to the deputy's apartment after a neighbor reported hearing knocking and cries for help at her door, an arrest report detailed. The witness let the woman in and alerted authorities and the building's front desk when she saw her bleeding and battered state. The woman told police that she met Chala earlier that morning at E11even Nightclub, 29 NE 11th St., where they struck up a conversation at the bar before being invited back to his apartment. Once inside, the two began kissing on his bed, with Chala wrapping an arm around the victim's neck and tightening his grip to the point of pain. The woman collapsed to the floor before escaping out the door after several minutes of struggling to find help, the report read. The deputy agreed to speak to detectives and told a different version of events. His claim: after inviting the woman up to his apartment, she allegedly suggested they lie in bed together. Chala, who insisted he was tired, reportedly refused and asked her to leave, denying the two had made any physical contact outside of him kissing her hand.
