'A lot like Edmonton': Sunrise, Fla., mayor says rival cities united by hockey, giant malls

The mayor of Sunrise, Fla., a city near the edge of the Everglades, home to the NHL Panthers, says it's not that different from Edmonton.

They're two cities punching above their weight on hockey's biggest stage, says Michael Ryan.

And they've both got big malls.

"Edmonton is a bit smaller than some of the metropolises but has oversized power in terms of hockey. And that's how we feel in Sunrise," Ryan said in an interview.

"It's a town a lot like Edmonton looking for an opportunity to raise the [Stanley] Cup."

The Panthers host Game 1 of the seven-game Stanley Cup final series against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Sunrise, home to about 100,000, is a 40-minute drive from one of the concrete ribbons that snake out of downtown Miami.

It began as Sunrise Golf Village incorporated in 1961 by developer Norman Johnson, who built model homes — including a full-scale upside-down house to draw attention.

The village had fewer than 5,000 residents, with retirees whiling away their days hitting balls on a plethora of golf courses. By 1967, it officially became a city.

In 1971 — the same year the Oilers were announced as one of the original franchises in the old World Hockey Association — residents voted in a referendum to change the village's name to Sunrise.

Ryan laughed as he described how the plan was originally to call it Sunset.

"We do have amazing sunsets over the Everglades. And at the time, there was some idea that would be a brilliant way of doing it," he said. "[But the idea of] coming here for the sunset of your life may not be the most exciting."

He said the city has evolved from a sleepy town to a corporate powerhouse — a hub for international corporations.

The Swedish shopping colossus Ikea has a home in Sunrise. And there are three hockey rinks.