Florida Panthers
Poll: Vote on the Best and Worst Jersey in Florida Panthers History
On Saturday, the Athletic published a story in which its beat writers — and staffers for NHL teams they don’t cover (cough, cough) — picked the best and worst jersey each team has worn in its history, including the Florida Panthers.
The Florida Panthers have had a number of different looks throughout their 31 seasons and have wore their current jersey since the 2016-17 season.
Believe it or not, this will be the 10th season the Panthers have worn the ‘new’ shield jersey.
Now, not to ruin the Athletic’s story, but staffer James Mirtle was picked to select the best and worst jersey the Panthers have ever worn.
For the best jersey, he stuck with the current model writing that while going with the team’s classic original look “was a strong option and one I think many would choose here,’’ he added that the Viola family rebrand in 2016 “modernized the look.’’
The Panthers have also enjoyed the most success in their history wearing these jerseys so, hard to argue with the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions.
The original jersey, Mirtle wrote, “feels better as a good third jersey.”
And it is hard to argue with that logic, either.
One more spoiler alert: the original jersey may be coming back in some form or fashion for the Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins ballpark on Jan. 2. Just what we’re hearing.
As for the worst jersey in Florida Panthers history, Mirtle went with one many of you all seem very, very fond of.
Instead of going back to the meh Reebok jerseys in the mid-2000s or even the famed Jet Blue alternate of that same era (more on that later), he went with the 2022-23 Reverse Retro with the stick and palm tree logo on the front.
Courtesy Heritage Sports Art
In his reasoning, Mirtle even got in a jab at Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams.
“There’s a lot going on here, and that baby blue is pretty wild for a main color,’’ Mirtle wrote. “The palm tree might help bring in free agents, though.”
Since Mirtle does not cover the Panthers on the regular, he may not notice how many of you all wear those light blue jerseys.
Even though they were only produced for that one season, they are seemingly everywhere. Watch a Panthers game played anywhere, and you’ll spot at least a handful of those light blue jerseys just at ice level.
They are extremely popular and may be the most popular one-off jersey in South Florida Big 4 professional sports history.
I say Big 4 because Miami CF has probably had a couple jerseys they only wore a couple of times. Don’t know for sure.
Anyway…
Lets take a look at the history of the Florida Panthers in jersey form through the years — and below, you can vote on your favorite and least favorite of the bunch.
THE EXPANSION LEAPING CAT
The Florida Panthers wore a white and red version of this jersey throughout their early years of which the first five were spent at Miami Arena.
In 1998, a dark blue version of this jersey was introduced, only the leaping cat had a broken stick in his paws. Very cool.
The Panthers wore these as their primary jerseys into the Sunrise era but introduced updated jerseys in 2007. The blue jersey also takes over as the team’s primary jersey at home during this time.
When the Panthers were awarded an expansion team in 1992, there was a thought the team would go a little wild in the uniform design.
The Marlins black-and-teal was extremely popular and the team almost adopted those colors as their own. But Bill Torrey, architect of the dynasty New York Islanders, was brought in to run things. He wanted something that looked classic from Day 1.
These were classic from Day 1.
THE PIPE DREAM
In 2007, Reebok came out with a new jersey that for some reason featured piping down the front of the jersey.
The Panthers had phased out the red jersey by this time, with two versions — white and blue — of the Reebok special.
Stephen Weiss and Tomas Vokoun in their road whites.
These jerseys were not very popular at the time, mainly because the team was not very good but also because they did not look great.
Like everything else, they are coming back into style.
Want to show you’ve been a Panthers fan since the bad old days? Find one of these on eBay and make a statement.
The Panthers wore these through the 2010-11 season.
THE JET BLUES
Ah, yes, the famous Jet Blue jerseys.
These beauts came around during the ‘Pipe Dream’ Era and were the team’s new alternate jersey in 2009.
The color scheme was a big departure from the team’s original palette, and that was by design.
Shawn Matthias, Radek Dvorak, Steven Reinprecht, and Michal Repik rock the Jet Blues in 2010.
Although denied at the time, then-president Michael Yormark came up with the light/dark blue color to try and lure JetBlue as a major team sponsor.
It worked; JetBlue was with the team for years.
The Panthers were going to make this the team’s permanent color scheme only Torrey, the team’s original president who had regained some power within the organization, put his foot down.
Dale Tallon, the new GM, hated them as well.
They did not last long — although they still live on to this day thanks to the Reverse Retro 2.0.
Roberto Luongo was even spotted wearing the Jet Blue cat logo on a baseball cap earlier this month.
“I kind of liked them,’’ he said. Luongo also never had to wear them.
RETURN TO RED
Torrey and Tallon helped orchestrate the team’s return to red as their primary color and Yormark reversed course on the baby blues and built a marketing (of course he did) campaign around going back to red.
The Washington Capitals made ‘Rock the Red’ popular, so the Panthers went with ‘We See Red.’
Brian Campbell sees red in the Panthers new look.
Some fans even started shouting ‘Red!’ during the playing of the national anthem.
OK, the Panthers still do that.
This jersey was popular as it came just as the team turned a corner and Tallon spent like crazy on free agents to help get the franchise back on track.
After missing the playoffs for 10 straight seasons, the Panthers won the Southeast Division in their first year wearing these new jerseys — the piping was gone but the odd stripes on the elbow remained — and made it back to the postseason.
The Panthers did have to adhere to their contract and wear the Jet Blues a few more times.
But red was back — and it has not left.
CAT SHIELD
After the 2015-16 season, the Panthers long-awaited retooling of their uniform and logo was finally unveiled at a pep rally in Sunrise with current and former players modeling the new look.
Gone was the leaping cat and the palm tree/hockey stick logo players once loathed but learned to love.
The shield was inspired by the 101st Airborne Division of which owner Vinnie Viola was a part of. Inside the shield was a more realistic-looking panther, a look that the team thought was a little more dignified and less cartoonish.
Aaron Ekblad and Vincent Trocheck model the Florida Panthers new uniforms at a rally in Sunrise on June 2, 2016. // Photo @GeorgeRichards
The leaping cat, it should be noted, has been redesigned and brought back a little since.
The Panthers also added military-styled sleeve patch which included a modified State of Florida flag with the team name above it.
Sasha Barkov gets ‘captain’ above his logo; his alternate captains get an extra patch as well.
The front shield uses ‘Panthers’ on the home reds; ‘Florida’ on the road whites.
Aside from NHL-demanded jerseys, the Panthers have not had a third alternate in a long, long time.
Which brings us to…
REVERSE RETRO 1: LEAPING CAT
During the Covid-shortened 2021 NHL season, the Panthers and the rest of the NHL had special jerseys which were one-off alternates.
Carter Verhaeghe takes a moment to chill in his Reverse Retro jersey in 2021.
Many thought the Panthers should have kept these in the rotation.
The jersey was a tweak of their original look mostly in dark blue with the team’s new red and gold on the shoulders as well as the bottom and the sleeves.
The palm tree and hockey stick logo also make a return for the first time since the 2016 playoffs.
The Panthers wore these jerseys in the shortened season, one in which they played in a hybrid ‘Central’ Division with the likes of the Blackhawks, Stars, Blue Jackets, Predators, and, of course, the Lightning.
Florida finished second in the division and lost to the Lightning in the first round.
These jerseys are still spotted in the wild.
REVERSE RETRO 2: TROPICAL ACRES
I mean if these are the worst jerseys the Panthers ever wore … OK, not a chance.
Adidas was back at the Reverse Retro for the 2022-23 season and the Panthers came up with a doozie.
Radko Gudas getting some Vitamin D in his 2023 Reverse Retro fit. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers
Taking inspiration from the (gasp!) Jet Blues with the color, piping, and FLA logo on the shoulders, the Panthers surprised everyone by putting the stick/palm logo front and center.
One concern some have is you have to really know this is a Panthers jersey to know this is a Panthers jersey.
The team name is not anywhere near this thing.
Yet, it works.
The team could not keep these things in stock but they still must be selling somewhere, right?
Seems like everyone who is a Panthers fan has at least one of them — either bought legitimately or off a less-than-legit website.
Hey, we’re not judging.
Happy hunting.
VOTE NOW
So, which jersey is your favorite?
Which one don’t you like very much?
Go ahead and vote below.
Trying out a new poll system so hopefully this works and we’ll have more of these throughout the year.
Thanks for reading all of this! Hope you enjoyed it…
Also, feel free to vote on the poll below and leave your comments on why you voted the way you did in the comment section as well.
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2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025
FLORIDA PANTHERS
UP NEXT
- NHL Free Agency: Opened June 1
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- Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule
