Neither University of Miami graduate student Ray Zhang nor alumnus Matthew Tamindzija could have predicted where their sport administration journeys might take them this year.
Zhang, who interned with the Florida Panthers this season, came to Miami from China to study sport administration. Working for the team's sustainability office, Zhang would go from monitoring the team's carbon footprint to helping manage overflow crowds during a raucous Game 7 watch party for the Stanley Cup finals.
"Nothing beats a championship game," said Zhang, who was assigned to the team's Baptist Health IcePlex at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, where more than 3,500 fans gathered to watch the game on big screen TVs.
"The fans were going insane," said Zhang, who admitted he knew little about hockey when he arrived in Miami but now considers himself a fan. "Many of them said it was the greatest sports moment they'd ever witnessed—even without actually being at the game."
Meanwhile, Tamindzija, a Panthers' vice president since 2023, said Game 7 of the NHL finals was a "historic moment for our franchise" and the "mother of all events" for his staff, which oversees logistics and "fan experience" for the team and the arena.
"It was, and is, exhilarating," said Tamindzija, who admitted he got very little sleep in the days after the team's victory.
"At that moment, when we knew we were about to make history, that's when it was pure pandemonium and pure joy in its rawest form. People were overcome with emotion. It was a 'mission accomplished' feeling."
Having worked for the Miami Heat during the 2012 and 2013 NBA championships, Tamindzija knew the prestige and excitement of a championship celebration.
"Everyone is cheering and high-fiving and taking photos," he said. "To do what's never been done with this franchise—it's priceless. You only win the first one once."
Like Zhang, Tamindzija got his start in the sports business as an intern while at the University of Miami. He landed two back-to-back internships with the Miami Heat, which eventually led to a full-time position he held for seven years before joining the Golden State Warriors and then the Panthers nearly three years ago.
Paul Resnick, who taught both Zhang and Tamindzija in his role as senior lecturer and director of internships for the Sport Administration program in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at the School of Education and Human Development, said it was gratifying to see his proteges at the center of an incredible moment in South Florida sports history.
"Ray came all the way from China to earn his master's degree with us and now he's part of this amazing experience—all because of our partnership with the Panthers,' Resnick said. "This partnership allowed him to be a part of history."
That partnership is an agreement between the University's UOnline program and the Panthers to serve as the team's "exclusive online higher education partner."
A key component of the partnership is the designation of six internships a year for students in the Sport Administration program, offered both online and in person.
Zhang, who graduates this year, said he has no doubt his time with the Panthers will change the trajectory of his career.
"This internship taught me so many things about professional sports," he said. "I was a student-athlete and a coach but knew nothing about the operation of a major sports team. My dream is to build up the rugby leagues in China. With this internship, I can see more clearly the operational aspects of how to do that."
Michael Prairie, director of sustainability and business optimizations for the Panthers and Zhang's supervisor, said he has no doubt that will be the case.
"Ray has a relentless work ethic and is fearless when confronting challenges," said Prairie. "We move extremely fast and attack problems as they come. This approach to business is not for everyone, but Ray has thrived in this environment."
Similarly, Tamindzija said he has had to be relentless to achieve success in professional sports. Now he said he does everything he can to give back to the University that gave him his first taste of sport management.
"UM was my dream school, no doubt about it," he said. "And the professors always had time for me to pick their brains on what was the next step to transition from the classroom to the workforce. There was no Plan B."
Tamindzija often returns to campus to speak to sport administration or sport marketing classes. He also leads tours of the Panthers arena for the University's Summer Scholars program, which brings high school students to campus for a "real-life" college experience.
Resnick said Tamindzija is the embodiment of an alum who cares and gives back to his alma mater.
"He's been such a supporter of our students since he broke into the industry," Resnick said. "I couldn't be more proud of his success, and we are so appreciative of his commitment to the Sport Administration program."
