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Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team in Florida, United States. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) and play at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

Contents13 sections
Key facts

1992–1993Expansion and organization

The NHL awarded H. Wayne Huizenga a South Florida franchise on December 10, 1992; the Florida Panthers name followed in 1993.⁠[1]

1993Inaugural season

Florida debuted in 1993 with a 4–4 tie against Chicago, initially playing home games at Miami Arena.⁠[1]

1995Origin of the rat tradition

Scott Mellanby’s 1995 “Rat Trick”—killing a dressing-room rat and scoring twice—inspired fans to celebrate with toy rats.⁠[1]

1996First Stanley Cup Final

Florida’s first playoff appearance in 1996 culminated in a Stanley Cup Final loss to Colorado.⁠[1]

1998Move to Sunrise

The Panthers played their first regular-season game at National Car Rental Center on October 9, 1998.⁠[1]

2013Vincent Viola acquisition

Vincent Viola bought the team in 2013.⁠[2]

2023Return to the Final

Florida returned to the Final in 2023, losing to Vegas.⁠[3]

2023Arena renaming

On September 19, 2023, the Panthers and Amerant Bank announced a naming partnership, renaming the Sunrise venue Amerant Bank Arena.⁠[4]

2024First Stanley Cup

Florida defeated Edmonton in the 2024 Final to win its first Stanley Cup.⁠[3][5]

2025Successful defense

Florida defeated Edmonton again in June 2025 for a second consecutive championship. Sam Reinhart scored four goals in the clinching sixth game, and Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.⁠[6]

Home arena

Amerant Bank Arena is on One Panther Parkway in Sunrise, Florida, hosting Panthers home games, concerts and other events.⁠[7][4]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

Florida Panthers: Official website: https://www.nhl.com/panthers (opens in a new window)⁠[8]

Florida Panthers: X: https://twitter.com/FlaPanthers (opens in a new window)⁠[8]

Florida Panthers: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSSc4wVk6telelb58RrLYdg (opens in a new window)⁠[8]

Sources

  1. 2009–2010 Florida Panthers Media Guide (opens in a new window)
  2. Ownership: Vincent Viola (opens in a new window)
  3. 2025 Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers (opens in a new window)
  4. Florida Panthers Announce Arena Naming Rights Agreement with Amerant Bank (opens in a new window)
  5. Florida Panthers FAQ — History, Tickets, Arena & Championships (opens in a new window)
  6. NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Champions Edition — June 18, 2025 (opens in a new window)
  7. A–Z Guide (opens in a new window)
  8. Florida Panthers — official website (opens in a new window)