ALL THINGS RAT

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 knocked it across the room with his hockey stick, then went on to score two goals that night with the same stick in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Goalie John Vanbiesbrouck later described Mellanby’s unusual feat as a “Rat Trick,” and a legend was born. The Panthers went on to have arguably their most successful season ever, including a run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. Ever since the “Year of the Rat,” as that season is called, the rat has been a quirky symbol of fan devotion to the team, and the current fan tradition is to throw rats on the ice following wins.