History of Florida Panthers in Timeline
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, making them the southernmost NHL team. They compete in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, playing their home games at the Amerant Bank Arena. The team's games are broadcasted on Bally Sports Florida, and they have two minor league affiliates: the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) and the Florida Everblades (ECHL).
1991: Trademark Acquisition
Wayne Huizenga acquired the "Panthers" trademark, foreshadowing the future team name.
April 20, 1993: Team Name and Personnel Announced
The team was officially named the Florida Panthers, with Bill Torrey as president and Bobby Clarke as general manager.
June 1993: Offices Established
The Florida Panthers established their team offices.
June 1993: Expansion Draft and Entry Draft
The Florida Panthers participated in both the expansion draft and the NHL Entry Draft, building their initial roster.
1993: Inaugural Season
The Florida Panthers began playing in the NHL, setting a record for the most points by an expansion team in its first season.
1993: Panthers Debut First Uniform Set
The Florida Panthers introduced their first uniform set, featuring red road jerseys and white home jerseys. Both jerseys displayed the leaping panther crest on the front and the alternate palm tree logo on the shoulders. The design included diagonal stripes on the sleeves and a triangular yoke. Yellow and navy served as accent colors.
1993: Leaping Panther Logo Introduced
The Florida Panthers unveiled their first primary logo, a leaping panther, which remained in use until 2016.
August 1994: Management Changes
Bobby Clarke left his position as general manager, and Bryan Murray was hired as his replacement. Coach Roger Neilson was later fired after a disagreement with Murray, and Doug MacLean was promoted to head coach.
1994: Successful Inaugural Season and Playoff Miss
The Panthers had a very successful first season, narrowly missing the playoffs. Their trap defense, implemented by coach Roger Neilson, was both effective and controversial.
1995: The Rat Trick Tradition Begins
Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room, then scored two goals that night. Fans started throwing rubber rats onto the ice after goals, creating a unique tradition.
1996: Broadcasting Rights
Bally Sports Florida (formerly SportsChannel and Fox Sports Florida) acquired the local broadcasting rights for the Florida Panthers.
1996: Future Eastern Conference Champions
Ten players drafted in June 1993 would later be part of the Panthers' 1996 Eastern Conference-winning team.
1996: Florida Panthers' 1996 Reunion Game
The Florida Panthers held a reunion game to celebrate their 1996 team and their memorable playoff run.
1996: First Stanley Cup Finals Appearance
The Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, ultimately losing to the Colorado Avalanche.
1996: Florida Panthers' Historic Playoff Run
The Florida Panthers, as the fourth seed in the East, made a remarkable playoff run in 1996. They defeated the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite losing to the Colorado Avalanche, they set a record for most wins by an expansion team in their first postseason appearance.
1997: Florida Panthers' Decline and Coaching Change
Following an initial unbeaten streak, the Florida Panthers experienced a decline in the 1996-97 season. They lost in the first round of the playoffs and subsequently faced a difficult 1997-98 season, leading to the firing of coach Doug MacLean and the departure of goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck.
1998: Panthers Introduce Alternate Navy Uniform
The Florida Panthers unveiled a new alternate uniform in navy blue. The jersey featured a unique crest with the leaping panther holding broken hockey sticks, adding a bold element to the team's identity.
1999: Acquisition of Pavel Bure
The Florida Panthers acquired star player Pavel Bure, known as the "Russian Rocket," in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
2000: Playoff Loss to New Jersey Devils
The Florida Panthers reached the playoffs but were swept in the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the New Jersey Devils.
2001: Ownership Change and Team Slump
The Florida Panthers experienced a slump, and founder Wayne Huizenga sold the team to an ownership group led by Alan Cohen.
2002: Franchise-Worst Record and Bure Trade
The Florida Panthers recorded their worst record in franchise history. Pavel Bure's performance declined, and he was traded back to the New York Rangers.
2002: Draft Day Trade for Rick Nash
The Florida Panthers traded their first-overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who selected Rick Nash. In return, the Panthers received the right to swap first-round picks with the Blue Jackets in 2003.
2003: Draft Day Acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester
Despite aiming to draft Jay Bouwmeester first overall, the Panthers traded down and ultimately selected him third overall after a series of draft-day deals.
2003: Navy Uniform Takes Center Stage
The Florida Panthers promoted their navy uniform to the primary home uniform, relegating the red uniform to alternate status. The crests on both uniforms were also switched, further solidifying the navy uniform as the team's main identity.
June 23, 2006: Trade of Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi
The Florida Panthers made a controversial trade, sending star goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi. The trade is widely considered one of the worst in professional sports history.
June 22, 2007: Acquisition of Tomas Vokoun
The Florida Panthers acquired goaltender Tomas Vokoun from the Nashville Predators in exchange for draft picks.
July 28, 2007: New Jersey Unveiling
The Florida Panthers unveiled their new jerseys to fans at the BankAtlantic Center during a 1996 team reunion game.
2007: End of an Era: Panthers Retire First Uniform Set
After 14 seasons, the Florida Panthers retired their original uniform set, marking the end of a significant chapter in the team's visual history.
2007: Panthers Embrace the Reebok Edge Template
The Florida Panthers adopted the new Reebok Edge template for their uniforms, introducing updated designs for their navy and white uniforms. The new jerseys featured thicker stripes on each sleeve and added piping, reflecting the evolving aesthetics of hockey uniforms.
June 2008: Trade of Olli Jokinen
The Florida Panthers traded their captain, Olli Jokinen, to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for draft picks and defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton.
2008: Tomas Vokoun Selected for All-Star Team
Tomas Vokoun's performance earned him a selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
November 2009: New Ownership and Continued Playoff Drought
Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel became the new majority owners of the Florida Panthers. The team continued to struggle, missing the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.
November 23, 2009: Third Jersey Unveiled
The Florida Panthers introduced their third jersey, removing red and replacing it with powder blue.
2009: Panthers Unveil Navy Alternate with Roundel Crest
The Florida Panthers introduced a new navy alternate uniform with a distinctive roundel crest. The crest featured a panther head encircled by the team name, creating a unique visual element. Powder blue replaced red as the trim color, and the alternate 'FLA' sunshine logo was added to the shoulders. This uniform was used for three seasons.
2011: Return to Red: Panthers Retire Primary Navy Uniforms
The Florida Panthers retired their primary navy uniforms, opting to return to wearing red uniforms at home. The piping on the chest was also removed, simplifying the design.
2016: Panthers Overhaul Visual Identity
The Florida Panthers implemented a significant overhaul of their visual design. Yellow was replaced with flat gold as the trim color, and the red uniforms featured the shield logo with the team name, while the white uniforms displayed the variation with the city name. An alternate logo featuring the flag of Florida below a crawling panther was added to the sleeves. Both sets incorporated thick contrasting stripes on the chest and sleeves.
2016: New Shield Logo Debuts
The Florida Panthers introduced a new primary logo featuring a shield with a panther head profile. The leaping panther logo became an alternate logo.
2017: Record Broken
The Vegas Golden Knights surpassed the Florida Panthers' record for most points by an expansion team in its inaugural season.
2017: Vegas Golden Knights Break Expansion Team Playoff Record
The Vegas Golden Knights surpassed the Florida Panthers' record for most wins by an expansion team in their inaugural season, achieving more than 12 victories.
September 2, 2020: Bill Zito Hired as General Manager
Bill Zito was hired as the new general manager of the Florida Panthers, succeeding Dale Tallon.
2020: Playoff Drought
Between 1996 and 2020, the Florida Panthers only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs five times and didn't win a single series during that period.
2020: Panthers Release 'Reverse Retro' Alternate Uniforms
The Florida Panthers released a 'Reverse Retro' alternate uniform, reimagining their original 1990s uniform with a navy base and flat gold trim. They also unveiled a second 'Reverse Retro' uniform based on the same 1990s template but with a powder blue base, referencing the 2009-12 navy alternates, and the alternate palm tree, sun, and stick logo on the front.
October 28, 2021: Quenneville Resigns Amidst Scandal
Head coach Joel Quenneville resigned from his position due to his involvement in the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.
April 3, 2022: Panthers Clinch Playoff Berth
The Florida Panthers secured their place in the playoffs for the 2021-22 season with a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. This also marked their franchise-record 48th win of the season.
April 21, 2022: Panthers Crowned Atlantic Division Champions
The Florida Panthers achieved their first Atlantic Division title since the 2015-16 season after a 5-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings. This victory also extended their win streak to 12 games, equaling a franchise record.
2022: Playoff Series Victory
The Florida Panthers ended their two-decade-long playoff series drought by winning their first series in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
February 2023: Panthers Face Injury Challenges
The Florida Panthers struggled with injuries, including a significant injury to star center Aleksander Barkov, impacting their playoff contention early in the 2022-23 season.
2023: Panthers Achieve Third Division Title
The Florida Panthers had a successful 2022-23 season, securing their third Atlantic Division title in franchise history after a tight race with the Boston Bruins.
2023: Second Stanley Cup Finals Appearance
The Florida Panthers made their second appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Vegas Golden Knights.
May 6, 2024: Information Updated
The information regarding the Florida Panthers' uniform history was updated on this date.
