2008 Florida Panthers

Quick quiz: Are you a pessimist or an optimist? If you’re a pessimist, you’re probably disappointed that the Florida Panthers finished the 2007-08 season in third place in the Southeast Division. But if you’re an optimist, you’ll be thrilled that last season’s 38-35-9 record was their highest in seven seasons. The 2008-09 season should be even better, with two-time Coach of the Year (in the Ontario Hockey League) and Memorial Cup winner Peter DeBoer as the new head coach. General Manager Jacques Martin also shook up the roster, dealing captain Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton, and signing veterans Cory Stillman and Bryan McCabe. Will these changes bring the success the Panthers have been hoping for? Get your tickets to BankAtlantic Center and watch the Florida Panthers prove that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the 2008-09 season.

The Florida Panthers collected 83 points in their inaugural season of 1993-94, the most ever for an NHL expansion team. Under the direction of head coach Doug Maclean, they reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, their third year in the league.

The Panthers, whose home venue is the BankAtlantic Center (previously Office Depot Center), were founded as an NHL expansion franchise in 1993 by H. Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). William A. Torrey, who had been general manager of the New York Islanders for twenty years, became the Panthers' first president, and Roger Neilson was hired as the team's first head coach.

Florida set expansion team records for most wins and points in the 1993-94 season. Goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, acquired from the New York Rangers, grounded the team's defense; right wing Scott Mellanby, formerly of the Edmonton Oilers, led the offense. Center Brian Skrudland was team captain. Vanbiesbrouck and right wing Bob Kudelski both represented the Panthers in the 1994 NHL All-Star Game.

At the end of the Panthers' second season, Neilson was replaced as head coach by Doug Maclean, formerly of the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. In the 1995-96 season the Panthers qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Ed Jovanovski led all first-year NHL defensemen in goals scored. In the 1996 playoffs Florida defeated the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers then lost four straight games to the Colorado Avalanche in the championship round. In 1999 the Panthers acquired center Pavel Bure from the Vancouver Canucks; as part of the trade Jovanovski went to the Canucks.