22 Facts About Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area.

Since then, the Florida Panthers have only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs seven times, not winning a playoff series again until 2022, and have struggled to find sustained success.

The Florida Panthers had one of the most successful first seasons of any expansion team in league history, finishing just two points below.

The Florida Panthers went on to upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six games followed by the second-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in seven to reach the Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche, another team making its first Finals appearance.

Florida Panthers began the next season with a 12–game unbeaten streak, but faded in the second half of the season after trading second line center Stu Barnes.

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Florida Panthers moved into the brand new National Car Rental Center in 1998.

Florida Panthers then began eyeing defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, who was widely tipped to be picked first overall pick at the 2002 Draft.

However, then-general manager Rick Dudley sent Florida's first pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who selected winger Rick Nash, and in return, the Panthers received the right to trade first-round selections with the Blue Jackets in the 2003 Draft, a right which was not exercised when the Panthers received the first overall selection in 2003 as well.

The Atlanta Thrashers, after picking goaltender Kari 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.

In June 2008, the Florida Panthers traded their captain Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick and defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton.

However, the Florida 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.

Unable to regain their form from last season, the Florida Panthers suffered key injuries and fell back down into the basement with the worst record in the League.

The Florida Panthers would relieve Horachek of his duties at the end of the season, replacing him with former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Gerard Gallant.

The next day, the Florida Panthers named former NHL player Andrew Brunette their interim head coach.

However, their luck would run out in the Second Round, as the Florida Panthers were swept in four games by the archrival the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida Panthers went completely dry offensively, scoring only three goals throughout the whole four-game series.

Florida Panthers have had just two primary logos over the course of their history.

In 1998, the Florida Panthers debuted an alternate navy uniform, with the front crest depicting the leaping panther holding a pair of broken hockey sticks.

In 2009, the Florida Panthers unveiled a navy alternate uniform, featuring a roundel crest depicting a panther head surrounded by the team name.

Florida Panthers have an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Inductees affiliated with the Florida Panthers include six former players and two builders of the sport.

Builders that have an affiliation with the Florida Panthers include former head coach Roger Nielson, and Bill Torrey, former general manager of the Florida Panthers.