Florida Panthers warm up with No. 16 jerseys to honor late Jose Fernandez

Florida Panthers players pay tribute to the late Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez by wearing his name and No. 16 on the back of their jerseys during practice before an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, in... (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

Matt Jaworowski, Media General National Desk – (MEDIA GENERAL) – The Florida Panthers honored the memory of the late Jose Fernandez by wearing No. 16 warm-up jerseys for Thursday night's home opener against the New Jersey Devils.

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The death of the 24-year-old all-star pitcher was a major shock to the Miami community, and their hometown hockey team wanted to honor him.

The Panthers also wore No. 16 decals on their helmets and donated $35,000 to Fernandez's foundation, the JDF16 Foundation, which supports local non-profits in the Miami area. Former Marlins teammates Dee Gordon and Adam Conley attended the game and accepted a check from the Panthers organization.

Fernandez and two friends died early Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, after their speedboat struck a jetty near South Beach.