Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers Have Come a Long Way, Baby
In 1992, the NHL was expanding its reach throughout North America and on one December day — hours after the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning played a regular-season game at Miami Arena — expansion teams were given to Anaheim and Miami. The latter of which, of course, became the Florida Panthers.
The two new organizations had the option to either start up right away and play the 1993-94 season, or wait a year and start play in 1994.
Both opted to get things rolling right away.
Wayne Huizenga of Blockbuster and Waste Management fame, paid $50 million for the privilege of building a team from NHL discards.
Original expansion teams paid $5 million for franchises which began operation in 1967.
Today?
The expansion Seattle Kraken cost $650 million; the Arizona Coyotes went for $1.2 billion.
New expansion teams, with Atlanta and Houston in the mix, could fetch upwards of $2 billion.
According to a New York Times article last year, the Florida Panthers was valued at about $1.25 billion — and that was before the second of back-to-back Cups.
Vinnie Viola purchased the team in 2013 for a reported $250 million.
When the Panthers were born, Gary Bettman was hired away from the NBA to become commissioner of the NHL.
One of his most risky priorities was to build hockey interest in non-traditional markets with a major emphasis on Florida. To this day, Bettman seems to have a soft spot for the Panthers.
Tampa Bay started a year before the Panthers, its first season coming in 1992-93.
The Lightning made the Stanley Cup playoffs only once in their first ten seasons.
With the arrival of the Panthers, a natural rivalry was born.
Yet it took almost 20 seasons until both franchises were good at the same time and the rivalry became intense based off playoff series between the two and not just geography.
The Panthers were competitive from Day 1 unlike other expansion teams such as San Jose and the Ducks.
In the team’s third season, after barely missing the playoffs in the first two, the expansion Panthers made a remarkable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
Bill Lindsay has been associated with the Panthers for all but a few seasons since the team’s beginning.
His recollection of the early team draws a similarity to the present Panthers.
“We were good from the very first game. We knew we stacked up well versus the rest of the league,’’ Lindsay said. “We missed the playoffs by one point the first two years. Then Year 3 the magic happened and the trip to the finals. That team had a bond and love for each other. Greatest teammates you could ever ask for. We belonged.”
Goalie John Vanbiesbrouck gave the Panthers immediate credibility. So, too, did Hall of Famers Bill Torrey and Bobby Clarke, the architects of the team.
Vanbiesbrouck was the Panthers’ first choice in the 1993 expansion draft and ‘Beezer’ became the face of the team.
After 10 years with the Rangers, Vanbiesbrouck was traded to Vancouver before the expansion draft so New York could protect the younger Mike Richter.
Vanbiesbrouck never looked for a home in Vancouver, figuring he would be picked up by Florida or Anaheim in the expansion draft.
Jaromir Jagr cuts around the back of the net as Florida Panthers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck blocks the side of the goal during the first period in Game 4 of the 1996 NHL Eastern Conference final at Miami Arena. The Panthers eventually ousted the Penguins in 7 games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
And, if not, the rumor was that Vancouver would trade Vanbiesbrouck to Winnipeg if he survived the draft.
When Torrey called ‘heads’ at the expansion coin toss and selected Vanbiesbrouck, the goalie quipped it was a “68 degree toss. The difference in the average temperature between Winnipeg and Miami.”
The Panthers made the playoffs again in Year 4 before a drop off. Florida returned to the postseason in 2000, but like in 1997, were knocked out early.
There was an 11-season drought until the next playoff appearance, and it was not until 2022 that the Panthers made it past the first round.
When the Panthers were born, there was only one place in all of South Florida to play.
Huizenga initially signed a two-year lease with option years at the Miami Arena, a building that opened in 1988 and was built to lure an NBA team to town.
When the Miami Heat started play in 1988, it was just the second pro team in town joining the Dolphins.
Huizenga later added the final two pieces of the Big 4, bringing expansion baseball and hockey to town.
He did not expect to play at Miami Arena very long, proclaiming that he would have a new building constructed at the end of those two years.
The team received very little as a tenant in the Home of the Heat.
The Heat, of course, were the primary tenant of the Overtown arena and kept much of the in-house advertising as well as getting its choice of home dates.
Winter circus visits took away prime playing dates when the snowbird population was at its peak.
The Panthers’ plight was evident in the 1996 playoffs when their opening round games had to be scheduled around a Garth Brooks concert.
Huizenga and the Panthers stayed in Miami longer than they wanted to, although despite its spartan accommodations, the old arena was a great barn. There was not a bad seat in the house, and the Panthers filled it nightly.
After threatening to move the team to Nashville, Huizenga scored a major victory on the arena front during the 1996 playoffs.
Broward County would build the team a new arena on the edge of the Everglades in a small but booming town called ‘Sunrise.’
The state-of-the-art building opened in 1998 — the team’s sixth season.
The Panthers have not played south of the Broward County line since 1998 but will return for the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at Marlins Park in Little Havana on Jan. 2.
Hockey in Florida has grown by leaps and bounds in the years since Tampa Bay and the Panthers joined the NHL.
Local rinks have popped up throughout the Sunshine State.
Now, NHL players are coming from Florida not just coming to Florida.
“At that time, I could not envision players coming out of South Florida,’’ Lindsay said. “As the years went by and more rinks came along, that’s when I knew that someone was going to make the NHL from Florida. We built a remarkable foundation to grow the game.”
Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakob Chychrun, Jaycob Megna, and the Quinn brothers —Jack and Quinn — are among a number who hail from Florida.
Chase Priskie, who grew up going to games in Sunrise from his home in Pembroke Pines, became the first born-and-raised South Floridian to suit up for his hometown team.
Florida Panthers defenseman Chase Priskie sets up a play during the third period of a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Although the Panthers struggled for the first 20 years of the 21st century, the low finishes enabled the team to draft the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Sasha Barkov, and Aaron Ekblad.
Former general manager Dale Tallon was responsible for signing Sergei Bobrovsky and it was the genius of Bill Zito that allowed the team to acquire and keep such players as Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, and Brad Marchand.
Most of the key players are signed to extended contracts with 10 players inked through 2030.
Did someone say “dynasty?”
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this trip down Panther Lane with some quirky happenings over the course of 26 seasons in Sunrise.
More FHN Coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Panthers:
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2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025
FLORIDA PANTHERS
ON DECK
- NHL Free Agency: Opened June 1
- Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
- Prospect Showcase @ Tampa Bay Lightning: Starts September 12, Wesley Chapel
- Training Camp: Mid-September
- Exhibition Games: Starts Sept. 21 @ Nashville (doubleheader)
- Championship Ring Celebration: Oct. 6; Time/Site TBA
- Opening Night: Oct 7 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m.
- Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule
