florida panthers history
florida panthers history
Florida Panthers tickets give NHL fans the chance to see the Panthers prowl the Southeast Division in search of a playoff berth. The Panthers are coming off a 25-win season. That dismal performance and the long NHL lockout prompted Florida’s management to begin picking up veteran talent to bring to the Office Depot Center. The idea of infusing experienced veterans into the pool of young emerging stars on the Panthers roster has Florida hockey fans standing in line to get Panthers tickets.
The Florida Panthers began to prowl the Sunshine State in 1993. Deriving their name from a the native Florida Panther, the hockey playing Panthers hit the ice dressed in the team colors of blue, red, and gold. The team logo features a gold Panther leaping into the foreground with its teeth and claws bared for attack.
While most expansion teams suffer through a dismal start the Panthers were actually fairly competitive in their first year. The Panther netted a former Vezina Winner in John Vanbiesbrouck as goalie. Oct. 6th marked the franchises debut game, a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks that ended in a 4-4 tie. A win against instant cross-state rival Tampa Bay gave the Panthers the first win in franchise history in a 2-0 game. The Panthers finished their debut season with a record of 33-34-17, falling just short of qualifying for the playoffs.
In their second season, which was shortened by a lockout, the Panthers again put up very respectable numbers. Finishing at 20-22-6, Florida once again narrowly missed the playoffs, lacking only a single point to put them over the top. That playoff barrier was broken in Year 3 as the Panthers posted a record of 41-31-10. Entering the playoffs for the first time, Florida faced off against the Boston Bruins and emerged with a win, besting the Bruins in five games. After an unlikely 2nd round series win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the upstart Panthers entered the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It took seven games for Florida to emerge a winner as they clinched a Stanley Cup Finals spot with a 1-0 victory in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they fell behind quickly, dropping the first three games of the series before eventually folding their tents in Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Panthers returned to the postseason in 1997 but got chased out by the New York Rangers in the first round. It would be 2000 before the Panthers saw another playoff berth and that foray ended with Florida being swept by the New Jersey Devils in only four games.
Florida Panthers tickets got a jump start in popularity when the Panthers dipped into the free agent market and landed Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk. While expected to perform on the ice, just as important to the franchise is the knowledge these two veterans bring to the ice. The hope is that the knowledge will rub off on the younger players and speed up the development process. It’s a move that Florida hockey fans seem to like, as fans are racing to the Office Depot Center with Florida Panthers tickets in hand to see the Panthers compete for a playoff spot.
