In 1992, the Florida Panthers joined the National Hockey League as an expansion franchise, becoming the southernmost team in the league. Located in Sunrise Florida, they enjoyed one of the most successful first seasons for an expansion team, only narrowly missing the playoffs.
This is mainly attributed to their use of the “trap defense” which some claim they used too much and at the time accused the team of ruining the game. Although they are consistent winners, the team has only managed one Conference Championship so far out of three playoff appearances.
BankAtlantic Center is home to the Florida Panthers, seating more than 19,000 fans. It was originally known as the Broward County Civic Arena, before changing to the National Car Rental Center and then the Office Depot Center, finally settling on BankAtlantic.
The arena has 2,632 club seats and 70 suites, and was built almost completely with public financing at a cost of 185 million dollars. In the future, there are plans to build high-rise apartments and retail and restaurant facilities in what is now the parking lot for the arena. Parking will then be done in an underground garage beneath the arena.
During breaks in the game, fans are not left without entertainment by any means. The Ice Dancers are a group of beautiful women who dance and skate their way over the ice, performing amazing routines and terrific dances, delighting fans of all ages. Also present at home games is Stanley C Panther, the team’s mascot. Stanley shoots t-shirts into the crowd and loves being a part of the Florida Panthers franchise.
Off the ice, the team, dancers, and Stanley are active in the community, making appearances throughout the area and working to improve the quality of life for all the residents. They are especially involved in bettering the lives of area children whether it is through grants, mentorship programs, scholarships or raising awareness.
They host fundraisers, participate in programs throughout south Florida, and help in any way possible to give a hand up to those less fortunate than themselves. The team is also very active in supporting organizations that are working to cure pediatric cancers. Whether it is on the ice or off, the Florida Panthers have a bright future ahead of them. Ice hockey may seem an unlikely sport in a place such as Florida, but their fans love them and appreciate all their efforts, whether it is during the game or after.
Previous Seasons
Florida Panthers tickets got just what they needed in the off-season. The Panthers took a big step toward the NHL Playoff picture by bringing in some much needed veteran experience in the form of center Joe Nieuwendyk and left wing Gary Roberts, two players who can contribute not only on the ice, but can tutor the Panthers young talent on the ins and outs of NHL hockey. Things look to get much better in the Office Depot Center, and sooner rather than later, making Florida Panthers tickets the up an coming NHL ticket of the year.
The NHL, in a determined move to spread the league around the country, increased its penetration into the Deep South with the Florida panthers. The Panthers were an immediate hit with hockey fans and played before good crowds in the Miami Arena, finishing with a notable 33-34-17 record, the best first NHL season in the history of the league. Coming back in 1994-95 after the NHL lockout, the Panthers played competitive hockey but narrowly missed the playoffs. The performance wasn't good enough for the Panthers front office though, and head coach Roger Neilson got his walking papers, and Doug MacLean was brought in to take over.
MacLean exerted a strong influence on the team and the Panthers were the best team in the NHL Eastern Conference by the time the All-Star Break rolled around. Coming back after the break, the Panthers got a dose of reality and finished the season at 41-31-10, their best record ever, and good enough to make franchise history with their first NHL Playoff berth. Most teams entering the postseason for the first time are just glad to be there and bow out quickly but the Panthers stunned the Boston Bruins with a five game series win. The Panther just kept going. The second round brought the Philadelphia Flyer to town. The Flyers went up 2-1 in the series early, but Florida rallied on a pair of overtime wins to take the series in six games and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in Panthers history. The Pittsburgh Penguins were a tough team and the Panthers stayed even, forcing a 7th game in Pittsburgh. With goalie John Vanbriesbrouk putting in a solid performance, the Panthers held on
to claim a 3-1 victory and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals.
That first Stanley Cup Finals appearance was a thrill for Miami hockey fans, but the Panthers never seemed to get on track. After dropping the first three games, it looked like Florida could pull of a win in Game 4, unfortunately for Panthers ticket holders, the Colorado Avalanche pushed the game into a third overtime and won the Stanley Cup on a shot by Uwe Krupp.
Can Florida Panthers tickets deliver an NHL Playoff berth in the New Year? Panther’s fans are banking on Roberts and Nieuwendyk, along with the play of rising young goalie Roberto Luongo to make it happen. If the Panthers can jell quickly, Florida Panthers ticket holders will be lining up for an NHL Playoff game at the Office Depot Center.
There is one word to sum up the Panthers for ’07, and that’s development. They missed the playoffs by only a few points, and they will be one amongst many teams striving for a last season playoff spot. This is why they have implemented a few -some might even say drastic- changes. The Panthers have let older goaltender Eric Belfour go, replacing him with former Predators goalie Tomas Vokun. The Panthers oft-injured backup goalie, Alex Auld, is gone as well. The Panthers are definitely developing a strong line-up, but it will take a while for all the changes to take hold – and get that playoff win.
Although the 2009/10 Panthers finished with the 2nd best ever record in franchise history (41-30-11 93 points) they still failed to make the playoffs for their eighth straight season. This season, the Panthers are looking to not only get back to the NHL Playoffs but to go all way to the Stanley Cup Finals. They made three off season trades and acquired Stefan Meyer (for the rights to Steve Reinprecht), Jordan Leopold & the 67th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft) and a second round 2011 NHL Entry Draft pick for Dominic Moore. In the draft, the Panthers selected Dmitri Kulikov with the 14th overall pick. Kulikov made his first career NHL Game on October 2, 2009 and his first Point & Assist on October 10, 2009. The team also acquired via free agency Alexander Salak, Scot Clemmensen, Ville Koistinen, Clay Wilson , Jeffe Taffe, Graham Mink, Jaime Johnson, Dennis Diedenbert and Dominic Moore. The Panthers are currently sitting in 12th place in the NHL Eastern Conference with a 24-27-10 record and
58 points.
