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.