| Florida Panthers | |
|---|---|
 2025–26 Florida Panthers season | |
 | |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Atlantic |
| Founded | 1993 |
| History | Florida Panthers 1993–present |
| Home arena | Amerant Bank Arena |
| City | Sunrise, Florida |
 | |
| Team colors | Red, blue, flat gold, white[1][2][3] |
| Media | Scripps Sports (WSFL-TV)[4] WQAM Sports Radio (560 AM) |
| Owner(s) | Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (Vincent Viola, chairman)[5] |
| General manager | Bill Zito |
| Head coach | Paul Maurice |
| Captain | Aleksander Barkov |
| Minor league affiliates | Charlotte Checkers (AHL) Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 2 (2023–24,2024–25) |
| Conference championships | 4 (1995–96,2022–23,2023–24,2024–25) |
| Presidents' Trophies | 1 (2021–22) |
| Division championships | 4 (2011–12,2015–16,2021–22,2023–24) |
| Official website | nhl |
TheFlorida Panthers are a professionalice hockey team based in theMiami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in theNational Hockey League (NHL) as a member of theAtlantic Division in theEastern Conference. The team initially played its home games atMiami Arena before moving to what is now known asAmerant Bank Arena in 1998. Located inSunrise, Florida, the franchise is the southernmost team in the NHL. The Panthers are one of two NHL franchises based inFlorida, with the other being theTampa Bay Lightning.
The team's local broadcasting rights were held byBally Sports Florida (formerly SportsChannel and Fox Sports Florida) from 1996 to 2024 when they made a new broadcast deal withScripps Sports. The Panthers are primarily affiliated with twominor league teams: theCharlotte Checkers of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) and theSavannah Ghost Pirates of theECHL.
The Panthers began playing in the1993–94 season, when they set the record for the mostpoints by an expansion team in its inaugural season, which was later surpassed by theVegas Golden Knights in2017–18. In 1996, the team made their first appearance in theStanley Cup playoffs, reaching the1996 Stanley Cup Final before falling to theColorado 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 the2021–22 season, the Panthers have found considerable postseason success. They won their first playoff series in two decades in2022, and appeared in the Stanley Cup Final for three straight seasons from2023 to2025, winning their firstStanley Cup in franchise history in2024, and repeating as champions in 2025.
Blockbuster Video magnateWayne Huizenga was awarded an NHL franchise forMiami on December 10, 1992,[6] the same daythe Walt Disney Company earned the rights to start a team inAnaheim that would become theMighty Ducks. At the time, Huizenga owned both the newly foundedFlorida Marlins ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) and a share of theNational Football League (NFL)'sMiami Dolphins. The entry fee was $50 million. Huizenga announced the team would play at theMiami Arena, sharing the building with theNational Basketball Association (NBA)'sMiami Heat, until a new arena was built.[7] Offices for the team were only established in June 1993, while vice president of business operations Dean Jordan conceded that "none of the business people, myself included, knew anything about hockey."[8] The new franchise would be the first professional ice hockey team in Miami since the folding of theTropical Hockey League in 1939.[9]
Huizenga initially wanted to name the team the "Block Busters" in honor of his video rental chain.[10] The team would have the same colors as the video rental chain (blue and gold) and even a uniform concept was designed.[11] In the end, the NHL rejected the nickname.
On April 20, 1993, a press conference inFort Lauderdale announced that the team would be named Florida Panthers, with formerNew York Islanders general managerBill Torrey as president andBobby Clarke as general manager. The team is named for theFlorida panther, an endangered species of large catendemic to the nearbyEverglades region.[12] Once the logos and uniforms were unveiled on June 15, the team also announced its financial commitment to the panther preservation cause.[13] Huizenga had held the Panthers trademark since 1991, when he purchased it from a group ofTampa investors who sought to create an MLB team in the Tampa Bay area.[14]
The new franchise joined the NHL for participation in the1993–94 season, along with theMighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Panthers' and Ducks' rosters were filled in both theexpansion draft and the1993 NHL entry draft in June 1993, hosted byQuebec City;[15][16] that draft produced ten players who would eventually be a part of the 1996 Eastern Conference-winning team.[17]
The Panthers' first major stars were formerNew York Rangers goaltenderJohn Vanbiesbrouck, rookieRob Niedermayer and forwardScott Mellanby, who scored 30 goals in Florida's inaugural season.[18] Their first game was a 4–4 tie on the road against theChicago Blackhawks, while their first win was a 2–0 shutout of theTampa Bay Lightning in theThunderdome before a then-NHL record crowd of 27,227. The Panthers had one of the most successful first seasons of anyexpansion team in league history, finishing just two points below .500 and narrowly missing out on the final1994 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.[19] Their first-year success was attributed mainly to thetrap defense that first-year coachRoger Neilson implemented. This conservative style was widely criticized by NHL teams; some even suggested that the Panthers were ruining the game.[20] While the team executives expected the audience to consist of mostly "snowbird" Canadians living in Florida, the Floridians soon embraced the Panthers.[18] Helped by Miami's other teams having middling performances, the club averaged 94% capacity at the 14,500-seat Miami Arena, and sold 8,500 season tickets in 100 days.[18]
In August 1994, general manager Clarke left to work for thePhiladelphia Flyers;Bryan Murray was brought in from theDetroit Red Wings as his replacement.[21] After another close brush with the playoffs, finishing thelockout-shortened1994–95 season again in ninth,[22] Neilson was fired following an argument with Murray regardingEd Jovanovski, whom the Panthers chose as the number one overall pick at the1994 NHL entry draft.[23]Doug MacLean, who had been the team's player development director, was promoted to coach.[24] The team then acquiredRay Sheppard from theSan Jose Sharks at theNHL trade deadline and looked toward the playoffs for the first time.
A very unusual goal celebration developed in Miami during the1995–96 season. On the night of the Panthers' 1995–96 home opener, arat scurried across the team's locker room. Scott Mellanby reacted by "one-timing" the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck quipped was "arat trick." Two nights later, as the story found its way into the world, a few fans threw rubber rats on the ice in celebration of a goal. Therubber rat count went from 16 for the third home game to over 2,000 during the playoffs.[17]
In the1996 playoffs, as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers faced theBoston Bruins in the first round and won in five games.Bill Lindsay's series-clinching goal is still a trademark image for the run the third-year franchise went on. The Panthers went on to upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six games followed by the second-seededPittsburgh Penguins in seven (withTom Fitzgerald scoring what would end up being the game-winning goal) to reach the1996 Stanley Cup Final against theColorado Avalanche, another team making its firstStanley Cup Final appearance.[17] The Avalanche, however, swept the Panthers in four games. Despite losing in the Cup Final series, the Panthers set a record for most wins by an expansion team in their first postseason appearance with 12 victories (this record would later be broken by theVegas Golden Knights during their inaugural season in2017–18).[25] For his team's surprising success, Bryan Murray was honored as NHL Executive of the Year.[26]
The Panthers began the next season with a 12-game unbeaten streak, but faded in the second half of the season after trading second line centerStu Barnes. They lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs to theWayne Gretzky-ledNew York Rangers. The team would plummet in the1997–98 season. After a 7–12–4 start, the Panthers fired Doug MacLean, replacing him for the season with general manager Bryan Murray. The change did not aid matters, as Florida posted a franchise-worst 24–43–15 record, including a 15-game winless streak. This season also marked the end of goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck's time in Florida; in the midst of that streak, he was shelled by theChicago Blackhawks and never played another game for the Panthers. In the following off-season, Vanbiesbrouck signed with the Flyers as a free agent.
The Panthers moved into the brand new National Car Rental Center (now known asAmerant Bank Arena) in 1998. In1998–99, they acquiredPavel Bure (the "Russian Rocket"), in a blockbuster trade with theVancouver Canucks. They then reached the playoffs again in1999–2000, losing in a first round sweep to the eventualStanley Cup championNew Jersey Devils. The team slumped in2000–01. Afterward, Huizenga sold the Panthers to an ownership group led by Alan Cohen.[27] The following season,2001–02, the Panthers had their worst record ever. Bure struggled despite being reunited with his brotherValeri, and was traded to the Rangers at the 2002 trade deadline.
The Panthers then began eyeing defensemanJay Bouwmeester, who was widely tipped to be picked first overall pick at the2002 NHL entry draft. However, then-general managerRick Dudley sent Florida's first pick to theColumbus Blue Jackets, who selected wingerRick Nash, and in return, the Panthers received the right to trade first-round selections with the Blue Jackets in the2003 NHL entry draft,[28] a right which was not exercised when the Panthers received the first overall selection in 2003 as well. TheAtlanta Thrashers, after picking goaltenderKari Lehtonen second overall, announced that the Panthers had given them two draft picks to guarantee that Bouwmeester would still be available for Florida's selection. Bouwmeester was selected third overall by the Panthers. Said then-head coachMike Keenan, "We shouldn't have done that ... Jay would have been number-one if we'd kept that pick."[29]
In 2003, the Panthers hosted theNHL All-Star weekend in which theWestern Conference earned a 6–5 victory after the first overtime shootout in All-Star history. The West overcame a four-goal outburst by Thrashers wingerDany Heatley, who took home MVP honors in his first All-Star appearance.
On June 23, 2006, the Panthers were again involved in a blockbuster trade with Vancouver, sendingRoberto Luongo,Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov) in exchange forTodd Bertuzzi,Alex Auld andBryan Allen. This trade has been regarded by some as one of the worst trades in professional sports history – Luongo, who was at the prime of his career, was one of the League's top goaltenders, while Bertuzzi played just a handful of games for Florida before getting injured. He would later be traded to Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline forShawn Matthias. Additionally, Auld ended up a poor replacement for Luongo, and was ultimately let go after one season with the team.
On June 22, 2007, the Panthers were involved in yet another draft-day deal involving a goaltender. The team acquiredTomas Vokoun from theNashville Predators in exchange for three draft picks – a first-round pick in 2008, a second-round pick in 2008 and a conditional second-round pick that could be used in 2007 or 2008. The move would eventually pay off when Vokoun was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. On July 28, 2007, Florida unveiled their new jerseys to over 11,000 fans at the BankAtlantic Center during the first intermission of the Panthers' 1996 Reunion game. Star forwardsNathan Horton andStephen Weiss were both in full gear to help showcase the sweater changes.
In June 2008, the Panthers traded their captainOlli Jokinen to thePhoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick and defensemenKeith Ballard andNick Boynton. The Panthers finished the2008–09 season with a strong 41–30–11 record and 93 points, their second-highest finish in franchise history. Despite this, however, the Panthers missed the playoffs for an eighth-straight season, the then-longest streak in the NHL.
In November 2009,Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel became the new majority owners.[30] On November 23, 2009, the Panthers made their third jersey, ridding red from the alternate jersey, replacing it with powder blue. The Panthers missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive time in the2009–10 season, making them the first team in NHL history to do so in one city.
Panthers management hiredDale Tallon as the team's new general manager on May 17, 2010, replacing Randy Sexton, whose contract was expiring at the end of June.[31] Tallon rebuilt the team with2010 draft picksErik Gudbranson,Nick Bjugstad andQuinton Howden, as well as the acquisition of players, includingSteve Bernier,Michael Grabner,Marty Reasoner,Ryan Carter andSergei Samsonov. All of the above-mentioned players, however, were traded at the 2011 trade deadline or released during the 2011 off-season, save for Gudbranson, Bjugstad and Howden. At the end of the2010–11 season, just Stephen Weiss andDavid Booth remained from the pre-lockout era Panthers roster.
On June 1, 2011,Kevin Dineen, head coach of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL)'sPortland Pirates, was named to be the 11th head coach of the Panthers. The team also rebranded their image, releasing a new home jersey, predominantly red with navy blue sleeves, and eliminating the navy blue piping on the road jersey; this new jersey replaced the navy blue one as the main home jersey. The 2011 off-season saw the acquisitions ofScottie Upshall,Tomas Fleischmann,Sean Bergenheim,Marcel Goc,Matt Bradley,Ed Jovanovski,Jose Theodore,Kris Versteeg,Tomas Kopecky andBrian Campbell.
After several more trades and over 300-man-games lost to injury throughout the season, the Panthers were able to finish first in the Southeast Division, marking the end of their record-setting decade-long postseason drought. The Panthers won the first-ever division title in franchise history with a 4–1 victory over theCarolina Hurricanes on April 7, 2012. However, the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils, losing at home in double overtime of game 7.
In thelockout-shortened2012–13 season, the Panthers had an abysmal season. Unable to regain their form from last season, the Panthers suffered key injuries and fell back down into the basement with the worst record in the League. In the2013–14 season, the Panthers failed to gain any momentum and finished 29th out of 30 teams. The team then fired head coach Kevin Dineen and replaced him withPeter Horachek. At the trade deadline, the Panthers reacquired Roberto Luongo from Vancouver. The Panthers would relieve Horachek of his duties at the end of the season, replacing him with formerColumbus Blue Jackets head coachGerard Gallant. The team also received the first overall pick in the2014 NHL entry draft, using it to selectBarrie Colts defensemanAaron Ekblad.
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The Panthers'2014–15 home opener on October 12, 2014, set a team record for the lowest attendance at a home opener, with only 11,419 spectators in attendance. The team's next game against theOttawa Senators marked the team's lowest attendance ever, with only 7,311 in attendance.[32][33] Despite finishing with a record of 38–29–15, the Panthers missed the2015 playoffs by seven points.
On December 8, 2015, the Panthers announced that they signed a 13-year lease, and an $86 million funding agreement withBroward County and would have a new logo and uniforms after the 2015–16 season. Their original logo had remained almost unchanged since their first season in 1993.[34][35]
In the2015–16 season, the team set a franchise record with a 12-game win streak. They also set a franchise record for most wins in a regular season with 47 wins and won their division for the second time in their existence. However, the Panthers lost to theNew York Islanders in six games in the first round of theplayoffs; this would be the first playoff series win for the Islanders since the 1992–93 season. Head coach Gerard Gallant was nominated as a finalist for theJack Adams Award, which recognizes the NHL Coach of the Year.
The2016–17 season began with the promotion of general manager Dale Tallon to an executive position within the organization and assistant general managerTom Rowe was promoted to general manager.[36] After an 11–10–1 start to the season, the Panthers fired head coach Gerard Gallant and general manager Tom Rowe took over as interim head coach.[37] At the end of the season, Rowe was relieved of his duties as both coach and general manager and was named special advisor to Tallon, who returned to positions of team president and general manager.[38] On June 12, 2017, the Panthers namedBob Boughner as their new head coach.[39]
In the2017 NHL expansion draft, the Panthers leftJonathan Marchessault andReilly Smith unprotected, despite the fact they both had 30-goal seasons on their resumes.[40] In return for the unprotected players, theVegas Golden Knights sent the Panthers a2018 fourth-round draft pick, leaving the Panthers with the extra salary cap space. The Panthers instead chose to protectNick Bjugstad,Mark Pysyk, andAlex Petrovic who all were eventually traded or no longer on the team within the next two years.[40] The expansion draft would later haunt the Panthers in the2023 Stanley Cup Final as the Vegas Golden Knights would defeat the Panthers in five games with Marchessault winning theConn Smythe Trophy and Smith scoring the series-clinching goal.
The2017–18 season began with a 19–22–6 record leading up to the2018 NHL All-Star Game. The Panthers then went on a 25–8–2 run in their last 35 games, ending up one point short of a playoff berth. Their 44–30–8 record earned 96 regular season points, tying the league record of the2014–15 Boston Bruins and the2018–19 Montreal Canadiens for the team with the most regular season points to miss the postseason.[41]
On April 7, 2019, the Panthers fired Boughner after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.[42] The next day,Joel Quenneville was named the 16th head coach of the Panthers.[43] Longtime goaltenderRoberto Luongo retired at the conclusion of the2018–19 season.[44] Tallon made a splash on the first day of free agency to replace the retired Luongo and signed two-timeVezina Trophy-winning goaltenderSergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal.[45] At the time of the signing, Bobrovsky's contract was deemed a risk and gamble due to the contract value, Bobrovsky's inconsistent play, and his age.[citation needed]
On August 10, 2020, after nine years as general manager, the Panthers and Tallon mutually agreed to part ways, following the team's elimination in the2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. In Tallon's tenure, the Panthers qualified for theStanley Cup playoffs three times, in2012,2016, and2020 with the Panthers never advancing past the first round, leaving the Panthers without a playoff series win since1996.[46]
Panthers management hiredBill Zito to succeed Tallon as the team's general manager on September 2, 2020.[47] During the shortened2020–21 season, the Panthers compiled 79 points in 56 games played, finishing the season in second place in the temporaryCentral Division, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes. As such, they were pitted against division and statewide rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round of the2021 playoffs. They were defeated in six games by the eventualStanley Cup champions, for yet another first round exit.
In the2021–22 season, Quenneville led the Panthers to a 7–0–0 record through the team's first seven games, but he would resign from his coaching duties as a result of the fallout from the2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal on October 28, 2021.[48] The next day, the Panthers named former NHL playerAndrew Brunette their interim head coach.[49] On April 3, 2022, the Panthers became the first team during the 2021–22 season to clinch a playoff berth, when they defeated theBuffalo Sabres at home, 5–3. This victory was also Florida's 48th of the season, breaking their previous record set during2015–16 season.[50] Three weeks later, on April 21, 2022, following a 5–2 victory over theDetroit Red Wings, the Panthers crowned themselves asAtlantic Division champions for the first time since the 2015–16 season.[51] The victory was also Florida's 12th consecutive, dating back to a 7–4 win over theMontreal Canadiens on March 29.[52] This win streak matched another one achieved during the 2015–16 season, tying the franchise record. With the win, the Panthers improved to a stellar 56–15–6 record, tallying 118 points, and overcoming theColorado Avalanche in the quest for thePresidents' Trophy. After an Avalanche defeat, and a Panthers 4–0 victory over theOttawa Senators on April 28, the Panthers clinched the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history.[53] They would end the regular season with 122 points, with a 58–18–6 record, the best record registered in the league since division rivals Tampa Bay Lightning in2018–19. On May 13, the Panthers advanced past the first round for the first time in 26 years, dating back to the1996 conference finals, by beating theWashington Capitals in six games, eliminating them with a 4–3 overtime victory.[54] However, the Panthers were swept in four games by the archrival the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. Florida went completely dry offensively, scoring only three goals throughout the whole four-game series.[55]
After being swept in the second round by the Lightning, general manager Bill Zito decided to move on from interim head coach Andrew Brunette. On June 22, 2022, the Panthers hiredPaul Maurice to be the franchise's 18th head coach.[56] Later that same off-season, the Panthers traded awayHart Memorial Trophy nominee forwardJonathan Huberdeau, defensemanMacKenzie Weegar, a first-round pick, and prospectCole Schwindt to theCalgary Flames in exchange for forwardMatthew Tkachuk and a mid-round draft pick.[57] The Tkachuk–Hubderdeau trade saw two100-point NHL scorers traded for each other for the first time since 1988, whenWayne Gretzky was traded forJimmy Carson.[58] This trade was also the firstsign-and-trade in NHL history as Tkachuk was arestricted free agent at the time.[59] The hiring of head coach Maurice and the Tkachuk trade proved to be successful in the following seasons.
For the2022–23 season, the Panthers looked to carry on their positive regular season streak. However, the team was hampered by injuries, most notably to star center Aleksander Barkov, who was sidelined for a large portion of the season.[60] Despite being outside of playoff contention by February 2023, the Panthers slowly gained momentum, aided by Barkov's return, and eventually finished the season with a 42–32–8 record, good enough for 92 points and the second wild card spot and eighth seed in the Eastern Conference overall, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. As such, they were set to battle the record-breaking, 135-point Boston Bruins in the2023 first round. As the heavy underdogs in the series, the Panthers were down 3–1 after losing game 4 at home. However, they won game 5 in overtime, 4–3 at theTD Garden, and game 6, 7–5, at home to tie the series at 3. In the definitive game 7, the Panthers led 2–0 after the second period, but were down 3–2 with under two minutes left in the third period, facing elimination. However, after goaltenderSergei Bobrovsky left the net to bring an extra skater to the ice,Brandon Montour scored with under a minute left to play to send the game to overtime. In overtime, despite a few saves by Bruins goaltenderJeremy Swayman,Carter Verhaeghe scored to win the game 4–3 and stun the Bruins, setting up a second round matchup against theToronto Maple Leafs.[61] In the second round, the Panthers continued their positive streak, defeating the Maple Leafs in five games.[62] The Panthers played their longest game in franchise history on May 18, against theCarolina Hurricanes in the conference finals, which resulted in a 3–2 Panthers victory withMatthew Tkachuk scoring the game-winning goal with 12.7 seconds left in quadruple overtime.[63] The Panthers would then sweep the Hurricanes in four games which included a goal by Tkachuk with 4.3 seconds left in game 4. This would be the first time the Panthers had ever swept a playoff series. They advanced to the2023 Stanley Cup Final,[64] where they lost to theVegas Golden Knights in five games.[65]
For the2023–24 season, the Panthers were expected to regress in results, as it was believed their aggressiveforechecking and stout defense would be figured out by rival teams. However, the Panthers once again enjoyed a successful season. They went 52–24–6 for 110 points, star centerSam Reinhart netted 57 goals (behindAuston Matthews for the league lead), and overtook the Boston Bruins in the last regular season game for the Atlantic Division crown, their third in franchise history.[66] Barkov became the franchise'sall-time points leader in a 5–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on March 20.[7] The Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5–2 at home, while the Bruins were ousted by theOttawa Senators, 3–1, to win the division.[67] In the first round of the2024 playoffs, the Panthers played against their rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and won the series in five games.[68] In the next round, the Panthers played the Boston Bruins again, this time winning the series in six games. In the conference finals, they won the six-game series against theNew York Rangers, advancing to theStanley Cup Final for the second straight year, where they defeated theEdmonton Oilers in seven games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.[69]
In the2024–25 season, the Panthers placed third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. The team dealt with injuries towards the end of the season, including to star forwardMatthew Tkachuk and defensemanDmitry Kulikov. Tkachuk was injured during the4 Nations Face-Off, but he returned for the playoffs.[70][71] Longtime defensemanAaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.[72] The Panthers once again met their cross-state rival theTampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, with Florida winning a five-game series. In the second round, the Panthers crossed paths with theToronto Maple Leafs. Despite falling down 2–0 in the series, the Panthers won four out of the next five games. In the conference finals, Florida faced the Carolina Hurricanes whom the Panthers defeated in the 2023 conference finals. After taking a 3–0 series lead, the Panthers would go on to win the series in five games, clinching their third consecutive conference championship and a trip to the2025 Stanley Cup Final. In the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers defeated theEdmonton Oilers in a rematch of the previous year's Cup Final in six games to win their second straight Stanley Cup and repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
The Florida Panthers have had just two primary logos over the course of their history. Their first logo, used from 1993 to 2016, depicted a leaping panther. Other logos from the era included an alternate version of the "leaping panther" logo, this time holding a pair of broken hockey sticks, and a logo depicting a yellow sun behind a hockey stick and a palm tree. The "leaping panther" logo was redesigned and relegated to an alternate logo when the Panthers unveiled a new logo in the 2016–17 season. The current primary logo is a shield with the profile of a panther head below the word "Florida"; the same logo with the word "Panthers" above is also used interchangeably.[73] When used as the jersey crest, the "Panthers" variant is used on home jerseys and the "Florida" variant is used on away jerseys.
The Panthers' first uniform set was used from 1993 to 2007. The red road and white home uniforms featured the leaping panther crest in front and the alternate palm tree logo on the shoulders. Diagonal stripes accentuated the sleeves and the yoke design was triangular in shape. Yellow and navy were used as accent colors.[73]
In 1998, the Panthers debuted an alternate navy uniform, with the front crest depicting the leaping panther holding a pair of broken hockey sticks. Prior to the 2003–04 season, the navy uniform became the primary home uniform while the red uniform was relegated to alternate status. The crests on both uniforms were also switched.[73]
Adopting theReebok Edge template in 2007, the Panthers revealed new uniform designs. The navy and white uniforms sported a thicker stripe on each sleeve along with added piping.[73]
In 2009, the Panthers unveiled a navy alternate uniform, featuring a roundel crest depicting a panther head surrounded by the team name. Powder blue replaced red as trim color and the alternate "FLA" sunshine logo was placed on the shoulders. This uniform was used for three seasons.[73]
Before the 2011–12 season, the Panthers retired their primary navy uniforms and returned to wearing red uniforms at home. The piping on the chest was also eliminated.[73]
The Panthers overhauled their visual design prior to the 2016–17 season, replacing yellow with flat gold as trim color. Red uniforms featured the shield logo with the team name, while the white uniforms used the variation with the state name. An alternate logo featuring theflag of Florida below a crawling panther is added on the sleeves. Both sets feature thick contrasting stripes on the chest and sleeves. The basic design was retained onceAdidas took over as supplier prior to the 2017–18 season.[73]
For the 2020–21 season, the Panthers released a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform, essentially a recoloring of the team's original uniform. In this case, the Panthers wore their original 1990s "leaping panther" uniform, but with a navy base and flat gold replacing yellow as a trim color.[74] A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was unveiled, again using the same 1990s-era template but with a powder blue base (a nod to the 2009–12 navy alternates) and the alternate palm tree, sun and stick logo in front.[75]
For the Panthers' appearance at the2026 NHL Winter Classic, they wore red uniforms with cream letters, navy blue and gold stripes. A variation of the "leaping panther" crest is rendered in chain-stitched felt.[76]
The Panthers have twomascots:Stanley C. Panther andViktor E. Ratt.[77]
Stanley C. Panther is a largeanthropomorphicFlorida panther and is the Panther's official mascot. He is named for theStanley Cup. Further, Stanley C. Panther was introduced during the 1995–96 season.[78] He was named by Darrel Ambrosini, a then-five-year-old fan of the team who creatively came up with the mascot's moniker.[79]
Viktor E. Ratt was introduced in October 2014 after much debate and honors the club's1996 Stanley Cup Final runwhere rats were tossed on ice. He is ananthropomorphicrat.[78]
The Panthers' designated television market includes South Florida. In July 2024, amidBally Sports's bankruptcy, the Panthers announced an agreement with theE.W. Scripps Company and itsScripps Sports division, under a multi-year deal beginning in the2024–25 season.[80] Scripps'Miami-Fort Lauderdale stationWSFL-TV serves asflagship station of the Panthers' television network, whileWHDT airs games in the Stuart–West Palm Beach market.[81]WFTX-DT3 airs games in the Fort Myers-Naples market.[81][82] The Panthers stream in-market games on Panthers+.[83]
From its inaugural season through 2023–24,Bally Sports Florida (formerly Fox Sports Florida and SportsChannel Florida) was the regional television rightsholder for all Panthers games not broadcast exclusively by the NHL's national television partners.
Panthers games on TV are called bySteve Goldstein on play-by-play, andRandy Moller on color.
The team has a radio deal withAudacy, Inc. to broadcast Panther games on the radio. Audacy airs the team's games onWQAM 560 repeating on96.5 (HD2) and99.9 (HD2) in Broward/Dade,WBZT 1230 repeating on98.7 (HD2) in West Palm Beach,WCTH-FM 100.3 in the Florida Keys, andWCZR-FM 101.7 in the Treasure Coast.
Panthers games on radio are called byDoug Plagens on play-by-play, andBill Lindsay on color.
In September 2020, the Panthers reached an agreement to partner with theCharlotte Checkers of theAHL to be the Panthers' top affiliate. The Checkers receive many of the team's top prospects and draft picks to further their development.[84] The length of the multi-year affiliation was not announced.
In June 2024, the Panthers announced an affiliation agreement with theSavannah Ghost Pirates of theECHL.[85] The length of the multi-year affiliation was not announced. TheFlorida Everblades were the Panthers' ECHL affiliate for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.[86]
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Panthers. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Florida Panthers seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 37 | 14 | 5 | 79 | 189 | 153 | 2nd, Central | Lost in first round, 2–4 (Lightning) |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 58 | 18 | 6 | 122 | 340 | 246 | 1st, Atlantic | Lost in second round, 0–4 (Lightning) |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 92 | 290 | 273 | 4th, Atlantic | Lost inStanley Cup Final, 1–4 (Golden Knights) |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 52 | 24 | 6 | 110 | 268 | 200 | 1st, Atlantic | Stanley Cup champions, 4–3 (Oilers) |
| 2024–25 | 82 | 47 | 31 | 4 | 98 | 252 | 223 | 3rd, Atlantic | Stanley Cup champions, 4–2 (Oilers) |
Updated November 21, 2025[87][88]
Paul Maurice has been the head coach of the Panthers since June 22, 2022.[56]
Bill Zito has been the general manager of the Panthers since September 2, 2020.[89]
The Florida Panthers have an affiliation with a number of inductees to theHockey Hall of Fame. Inductees affiliated with the Panthers include eight former players and two builders of the sport. Builders that have an affiliation with the Panthers include former head coachRoger Nielson, andBill Torrey, former general manager of the Panthers. Formerplay-by-play commentator,Dave Strader was also a recipient of theFoster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame, for his contributions in hockey broadcasting.[90]
Players
Builders
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roberto Luongo | G | 2000–2006 2014–2019 | March 7, 2020[91] |
| 37 | Wayne Huizenga | Owner | 1993–2001 | January 19, 2018[92] |
| 93 | Bill Torrey | President General manager | 1993–2001 | October 23, 2010 |
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history.[94] Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
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These are the top-ten playoff point-scorers in franchise playoff history.[95] Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
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Featured as cover athlete ofNHL 97 video game:John Vanbiesbrouck.[96]
Featured as cover athlete ofNHL 26 video game:Matthew Tkachuk.[97]
Including the club's current color scheme of Panthers Red, Blue and Gold, the 25th anniversary logo also incorporates silver as a visual acknowledgement of the franchise's silver anniversary.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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