2009 Florida Panthers

Though the Florida Panthers ended the 2008-09 season in 3rd place in the Southeast Division, their record improved from 38-35-9 to 41-30-11, their best in nearly a decade. The loss of star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was a blow, but the team still has Keith Ballard and Bryan McCabe, as well as newcomers Ville Koistinen, Dennis Seidenberg and Jordon Leopold, to keep their defense strong. On the offensive side, they’ve got The Sunrise Express, the vicious trio of David Booth, Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton. With a strong defense and offense combined with the solid coaching of Peter DeBoer, expect the Florida Panthers to continue their upward trend. In fact, the experts say they may even have a shot at the playoffs! If you don’t want to say you got stuck watching the action from home, go ahead and get your BankAtlantic Center tickets and get ready to watch the Florida Panthers dominate in the 2009-10 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.