Ringing in the new year

A Pennsylvania College of Technology graphic design alumnus, who is the creative manager for the Florida Panthers, joyfully rang in the new year with a Stanley Cup championship ring.

Employees of the professional ice hockey organization, including the creative team, received rings at a finale celebration last month – six months after the Florida Panthers won their first National Hockey League championship in the franchise’s 30-year history with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the thrilling 2024 series.

Of the December gathering, Austin Fulton, a 2018 Penn College graduate, said, “It was such an incredible night! It was so cool to see everyone in the organization be there to celebrate the Stanley Cup win one last time. When I first opened the box, I was speechless. The design of the ring turned out so beautiful, and to see my last name on the one side really hit me. All in all, everyone was just in awe with how beautiful the rings are, and it made for an even better holiday party!”

“I showed the ring to my parents over the holiday break, and they were blown away,” the Montoursville native added. “My family is a big reason why I'm here, so this ring is for them, too.”

Fulton joined the Florida Panthers’ creative team shortly after his Penn College graduation. He began his tenure as a graphic designer, moved to senior graphic designer after three years and quickly ascended to creative manager. As part of his duties, he oversees and maintains the Panthers’ brand and manages the team’s digital asset library.

“When I was a design student at Penn College, I dreamed of working for a major sports organization and to design a piece of work that I could say, ‘I designed that’ or ‘I was a part of this,’” he said.

Fulton has achieved those aspirations multiple times since working for the NHL team.

“One of the projects I was fortunate to work on was a billboard in Fort Lauderdale that captures the moment the players hoisted the Stanley Cup,” he noted. “Every time I pass it on my drive, it gives me chills.”

The team’s championship run demanded an intensive output of designs from the creative team. Many were completed in anticipation of attaining the big win but without certainty.

One of those tasks was for Fulton to design wraps for 12 double-decker buses for a possible championship parade. That eventual celebration occurred midst intense rains and thunderstorms.

"We didn't let the crazy work schedule or the weather dampen our spirits, and we soaked in (literally) that championship feeling,” he shared. “Even as we were riding back to the practice facility, fans were still lined up in the streets, cheering us all on despite being in the rain for hours. The South Florida community has waited a long time for a team like this to come around.”

The work demands did not lighten up after the celebratory parade.

Fulton and team were “cranking away on a variety of projects” to acknowledge the big win in the 2024-25 season’s marketing materials, as well as signage for the team’s new practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.

Obviously, attaining and celebrating a Stanley Cup achievement requires a tremendous amount of dedication, skill and sweat from all areas of the organization.

“I've been so fortunate to be on the design journey I am,” Fulton added. “I've worked with some amazingly talented people who push me every day to be better, and at the same time, I've been able to witness some of the biggest moments in a franchise's history. You can't ask for a better opportunity.

“I'm so proud to be a part of the Florida Panthers organization. There were some days that seemed like they'd never end, and other days that just flew by. I learned a lot about myself these last couple years and the type of work ethic it takes to make it in the sports world. It's an industry that is always changing, and it takes a dedicated group of people in the organization to make it all happen. Like I said before, our creative team is so talented, and they've made such great strides over the years. We've put out some high-quality graphics that even fans of other teams compliment us on. The Panthers’ brand is continuing to grow coming off this Stanley Cup run, and I'm excited to be a part of it all.”

Penn College offers a Bachelor of Science degree in graphic design and an Associate of Applied Arts in advertising art. 

(Penn College News shared two previous articles on Fulton's Panthers experiences: A June report on his team's Stanley Cup win and a 2019 feature about his creative role.)