BRING ON THE RATS

The tradition of rats falling on the ice in South Florida dates back to 1995 but took on new importance with back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final in 2023 and 2024. “One of the members of our flight crew had earrings with rats on them the other day,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “It has permeated what we do here. Cats and rats, right? I think it’s awesome.”