We winter in Florida so we always try to get to a Leaf game when they play the Panthers. Sometimes we'll drive to Tampa for that game too.
This will be no surprise, but it is not hard to get Panther tickets. Here's the funny part - you can get them for less than face value from the scalpers! Having said that, I usually get the tickets from StubHub. We've gotten seats at centre ice, 8-10 rows up - perfect really. (And cheap. Really, really cheap) The arena is across the road from the Sawgrass Mills Mall, which is, I believe, the largest outlet mall in the US.
Tampa is a tougher ticket - and more expensive too. The arena is located on the water. There is a hotel (Marriott I think) right across from it. The team usually stays there, if you care about that sort of thing.
Also - Porter Airlines rock! When they serve you a drink on the flight, it's in an actual glass.