The Florida Panthers have now spent over 20 years in the NHL.
The team, who plays their home games out of the BB&T Center in Sunrise,
Florida, has managed to survive in Southern Florida, a region not known for
producing hockey players or hockey fans.
Here are ten things
you may or may not know about the Florida Panthers:
1. Before
starting the 2013-14 season with the Detroit Red Wings, Stephen Weiss established
himself as Florida’s all-time leader in assists. Weiss totalled 249 assists
with the Panthers between 2001-02 and 2012-13, 18 more than Olli Jokinen. Until
his signing with Detroit, Florida was the only NHL team Stephen had played for.
2. The Florida
Panthers have not won a playoff series since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in
1995-96 against the Colorado Avalanche. They were swept in that series. Since,
the Panthers have lost in the opening round in 1996-97 to the New
York Rangers, to the Boston Bruins in 1997-98, the New Jersey Devils in
1999-00 and the Devils again in 2011-12.
3. Florida made
it to the Stanley Cup finals in just their third year of existence. The
Panthers met the Colorado Avalanche in the finals but were swept in four games.
The three victorious rounds en route to the finals stand as the only three
playoff matchups the Panthers have won in their relatively brief existence.
4. Goaltender
Craig Anderson held the record for the most shots faced in a shutout victory.
In a Florida Panthers uniform, Anderson shutout the New York Islanders 1-0 on
March 2, 2008 while facing 53 shots. However, on April 3, 2012, Mike Smith of
the Phoenix Coyotes stopped 54 shots in a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue
Jackets.
5. In an odd
twist, Florida’s individual single season record for most goals is higher than
the team’s record for most assists. Pavel Bure holds the record for most goals
in a season with 59 in 2000-01. Viktor Kozlov holds the Panthers record for
most assists in a single season with 53 in 1999-00.
6. For a long
time, the only player from the Panthers to win a major NHL individual award is
Pavel Bure. Pavel won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy as the NHL player
with the most goals twice. In 1999-00, he led the league with 58 goals and the
following season he added one to lead with 59. It was just the second and third
years that the trophy was awarded. Since, Brian Campbell won the Lady Byng
Trophy in 2011-12 and Jonathan Huberdeau won the Calder Trophy in 2012-13.
7. Florida joined
the National Hockey League for the 1993-94 season. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
joined that same season. Unlike the typical NHL expansion team, the Panthers
finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the New York
Islanders for the final playoff spot. The Mighty Ducks did nearly as well,
finishing ninth in the Western Conference, 11 points behind the eighth place
San Jose Sharks.
8. Ed Jovanovski has
been Florida’s only first overall pick at the NHL Entry Draft. The Panthers
took Jovanovski in the 1994 draft after his first year with the Windsor
Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey
League. He returned to play one more year of junior in the OHL before
joining the Panthers. Ed played just three and a half seasons with Florida
before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. 2011-12 marks Jovanovski’s return
to Florida after spending the past five seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes.
9. The Florida
Panthers began play in the Miami Arena. The rink was built in 1988 and had a
seating capacity of just 14,703 for hockey. For the 1998-99 season, the
Panthers moved to the brand new Bank Atlantic Centre which holds 17,040. The
Arena is now called the BB&T Centre. The Miami Arena was demolished in 2008
after just 20 years of existence.
10. Two members
of the 2011 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class finished off their National
Hockey Careers with the Florida Panthers. Goaltender Ed Belfour played in
Florida for just one season, 2006-07. Joe Nieuwendyk played the 2005-06 season
and a handful of games in 2006-07 before retiring.
