Will sale of the Panthers boost Boca Resorts' stock?(Brief Article)

Will selling the Florida Panthers Hockey Club boost Boca Resorts' stock? Or is the owner of the Boca Raton Resort & Club and other luxury properties caught up in an industry malaise?

Those are critical questions for investors after a report this week that sale of the team was becoming imminent. The investment community has been aware for at least 14 months that the company (NYSE: RST) was planning to do something with its pro hockey team -- a spin-off, or a sale.

There is a question whether the team is a drag to the company's stock price, which has been flat for about a year. Boca Resorts, which spent $900 million on its luxury hotel buying spree, was trading last week at $9.43, close to the same price it traded a year ago.

The stock may be affected by much larger influences such as an industry-wide …