Florida Panthers
From the Everglades to the Cup: The Florida Panthers' roar.
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played its home games at Miami Arena before moving to what is now known as Amerant Bank Arena in 1998. Located in Sunrise, Florida, the franchise is the southernmost team in the NHL. The Panthers are one of two NHL franchises based in Florida, with the other being the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Intense Modern Rivalry
- Affiliation
- Metropolitan Division (NHL)
- First appears
- 1993-1994 Season
- Status
- Active and Highly Competitive
Lore & Background
The Panthers began playing in the 1993–94 season, when they set the record for the most points by an expansion team in its inaugural season, which was later surpassed by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017–18. In 1996, the team made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, reaching the 1996 Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Colorado Avalanche. Between 1997 and 2021, the Panthers only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs six times, not winning a playoff series in that span. Since the 2021–22 season, the Panthers have found considerable postseason success. They won their first playoff series in two decades in 2022, and appeared in the Stanley Cup Final for three straight seasons from 2023 to 2025, winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2024, and repeating as champions in 2025.
Reader's Guide
The Panthers are primarily affiliated with two minor league teams: the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL. The team's local broadcasting rights were held by Bally Sports Florida (formerly SportsChannel and Fox Sports Florida) from 1996 to 2024 when they made a new broadcast deal with Scripps Sports.
Did You Know?
- The Panthers are named for the Florida panther, an endangered species of large cat endemic to the nearby Everglades region.
- The team's first major stars included goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, rookie Rob Niedermayer, and forward Scott Mellanby.
- The 'rat trick' celebration originated in the 1995–96 season after Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room and then scored two goals.
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