Three Panthers — John Vanbiesbrouck, Robert Svehla and Esa Tikkanen — represented their respective countries at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Tikkanen’s Finnish team ended up winning the bronze medal that year.

Do you know everything you need to know about the Rat Trick? On October 8, 1995, Opening Night at Miami Arena, Scott Mellanby waited with teammates in the locker room before the game. When a rat crashed the party, Mellanby dispatched it with his hockey stick, then later went on to score two goals that night in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.

The Panthers really wanted John Vanbiesbrouck, and “Beezer” didn’t disappoint. During the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft, the Panthers snagged Vanbiesbrouck in the first overall pick. Vanbiesbrouck would be the cornerstone of the expansion team and play his way into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. But when he arrived in the summer of 1993, the […]

Bob Kudelski came to the newly established Panthers in a trade in January 1994. He made his presence known and his command of the game earned him a spot on the NHL All-Star Team alongside teammate John Vanbiesbrouck.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 63 saves as the Cats earned a thrilling 3-2 win in quadruple overtime over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. With the win, Bobrovsky earned his 14th playoff victory with the Panthers, passing John Vanbiesbrouck for the most in team history. His 63 saves also […]

Brian Skrudland was the first Panthers captain (1993-1997) and holds a special place in the hearts of fans. Skrudland’s work ethic, John Vanbiesbrouck’s outstanding goaltending and Scott Mellanby’s “Rat Trick” magic were huge components of the team’s early playoffs success.

Panthers fans celebrated a fun piece of hockey history with a commemorative puck for the NHL’s first Rat Trick. On Opening Night 1995, Scott Mellanby scored two goals with the same hockey stick he had used to kill a rat in the locker room pre-game. John Vanbiesbrouck described the feat as a Rat Trick.

Ed Jovanovski got his start with the Florida Panthers in 1995 just as veterans like Brian Skrudland, John Vanbiesbrouck and Scott Mellanby were turning the team into a powerhouse. “Jovo” used this two-piece composite stick during the 1996-1997 season, when he played 61 games, earned 23 points and headed to the playoffs for the second […]

Aaron Ekblad’s selection for the 2016 All-Star Game secured his place in franchise history. The 19-year-old became just one of six Panthers ever selected for consecutive All-Star Games, the others being John Vanbiesbrouck, Viktor Kozlov, Pavel Bure, Sandis Ozolinsh and Roberto Luongo. Out of all the amazing names on that list, Ekblad was the first […]

Mark Fitzpatrick made a save during the first month of Panthers hockey in October 1993. Fitzpatrick started in goal for the first time on Oct. 19 (a 2-2 tie with the LA Kings) and went on to provide critical backup for John Vanbiesbrouck for several seasons, including during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs run. Fitzpatrick […]