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177-787: The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area . The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference , and initially played their home games at Miami Arena before moving to the Amerant Bank Arena in 1998. Located in Sunrise, Florida , the franchise is the southernmost team in
354-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
531-903: A Georgia man was sentenced to 2 years probation, fined, and handed a hunting ban during his probation for killing a Florida panther that had walked 600 miles north to Troup County, Georgia . In 2014, a male panther was shot and killed in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. The conservation of Florida panther habitats is especially important because they rely on the protection of the forest, specifically hardwood hammock, cypress swamp, pineland, and hardwood swamp, for their survival. Conservation strategies for Florida panthers tend to focus on their preferred morning habitats. However, GPS tracking has determined that habitat selection for panthers varies by time of day for all observed individuals, regardless of size or gender. They move from wetlands during
708-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
885-462: A vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey
1062-459: A 25–8–2 run in their last 35 games, ending up one point short of a playoff berth. Their 44–30–8 record earned 96 regular season points, tying the league record of the 2014–15 Boston Bruins and the 2018–19 Montreal Canadiens for the team with the most regular season points to miss the postseason. On April 7, 2019, the Panthers fired Boughner after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for
1239-544: A 5–2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings , the Panthers crowned themselves as Atlantic Division champions for the first time since the 2015–16 season. The victory was also Florida's 12th consecutive, dating back to a 7–4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on March 29. This win streak matched another one achieved during the 2015–16 season, tying the franchise record. With the win, the Panthers improved to
1416-502: A biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), was successful in demonstrating that agencies continued to use incorrect information after it had been clearly identified as such. As a result of the DQA ruling, USFWS admitted errors in the science the agency was using and subsequently reinstated Eller, who had been fired by USFWS after filing the DQA complaint. In two white papers, environmental groups contended that habitat development
1593-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
1770-468: A cowlick in a Florida panther population was 94% compared to other pumas at 9%, while the frequency of a kinked tail was 88% as opposed to 27% for other puma subspecies. To increase genetic diversity of the Florida panther, eight Texas pumas were introduced to the Florida population to hopefully promote the survival of the native population. This genetic rescue aided in reducing the inbreeding coefficient in
1947-440: A faster rate than females and for a longer time. It was described as a distinct cougar subspecies ( Puma concolor coryi ) in the late 19th century. The Florida panther had for a long time been considered a unique cougar subspecies , with the scientific name Felis concolor coryi proposed by Outram Bangs in 1899. A genetic study of cougar mitochondrial DNA showed that many of the purported cougar subspecies described in
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#17327719864592124-655: A few saves by Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman , Carter Verhaeghe scored to win the game 4–3 and stun the Bruins, setting up a second round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs . In the second round, the Panthers continued their positive streak, defeating the Maple Leafs in five games. The Panthers played their longest game in franchise history on May 18, against the Carolina Hurricanes in
2301-526: A first-round pick, and prospect Cole Schwindt to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Matthew Tkachuk and a mid-round draft pick. The Tkachuk–Hubderdeau trade saw two 100-point NHL scorers traded for each other for the first time since 1988, when Wayne Gretzky was traded for Jimmy Carson . This trade was also the first sign-and-trade in NHL history as Tkachuk was a restricted free agent at
2478-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
2655-549: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
2832-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
3009-400: A handful of games for Florida before getting injured. He would later be traded to Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline for Shawn Matthias . Additionally, Auld ended up a poor replacement for Luongo, and was ultimately let go after one season with the team. On June 22, 2007, the Panthers were involved in yet another draft-day deal involving a goaltender. The team acquired Tomas Vokoun from
3186-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
3363-458: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
3540-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
3717-484: A new home jersey, predominantly red with navy blue sleeves, and eliminating the navy blue piping on the road jersey; this new jersey replaced the navy blue one as the main home jersey. The 2011 off-season saw the acquisitions of Scottie Upshall , Tomas Fleischmann , Sean Bergenheim , Marcel Goc , Matt Bradley , Ed Jovanovski , Jose Theodore , Kris Versteeg , Tomas Kopecky and Brian Campbell . After several more trades and over 300-man-games lost to injury throughout
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#17327719864593894-501: A new logo and uniforms after the 2015–16 season. Their original logo had remained almost unchanged since their first season in 1993. In the 2015–16 season , the team set a franchise record with a 12-game win streak. They also set a franchise record for most wins in a regular season with 47 wins and won their division for the second time in their existence. However, the Panthers lost to the New York Islanders in six games in
4071-429: A new logo in the 2016–17 season. The current primary logo is a shield with the profile of a panther head below the word "Florida"; the same logo with the word "Panthers" above is also used interchangeably. The Panthers' first uniform set was used from 1993 to 2007. The red road and white home uniforms featured the leaping panther crest in front and the alternate palm tree logo on the shoulders. Diagonal stripes accentuated
4248-546: A part of the 1996 Eastern Conference-winning team. The Panthers' first major stars were former New York Rangers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck , rookie Rob Niedermayer and forward Scott Mellanby , who scored 30 goals in Florida's inaugural season. Their first game was a 4–4 tie on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks , while their first win was a 2–0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Lightning in
4425-539: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
4602-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
4779-538: A potential threat to panthers in South Florida after a female panther from the park died. Antigen analysis on select Florida panther populations has shown evidence of feline immunodeficiency virus and puma lentivirus among certain individuals. The presence of these viruses is likely related to mating behaviors and territory sympatry. Although, since Florida panthers have lower levels of the antibodies produced in response to FIV, consistently positive results for
4956-505: A recoloring of the team's original uniform. In this case, the Panthers wore their original 1990s "leaping panther" uniform, but with a navy base and flat gold replacing yellow as a trim color. A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was unveiled, again using the same 1990s-era template but with a powder blue base (a nod to the 2009–12 navy alternates) and the alternate palm tree, sun and stick logo in front. The Panthers have two mascots : Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Ratt . Stanley C. Panther
5133-400: A reported panther attack in Florida. However, in western states, people have been attacked and fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands. In 1982, the Florida panther was chosen as the Florida state animal . The animal is the namesake of South Florida 's hockey team , and the team has donated to the preservation of panther habitats. In 2023 the Florida panther
5310-580: A result of the fallout from the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal on October 28, 2021. The next day, the Panthers named former NHL player Andrew Brunette their interim head coach. On April 3, 2022, the Panthers became the first team during the 2021–22 season to clinch a playoff berth, when they defeated the Buffalo Sabres at home, 5–3. This victory was also Florida's 48th of the season, breaking their previous record set during 2015–16 season . Three weeks later, on April 21, 2022, following
5487-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
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5664-401: A significant threat to a subspecies that already has a low population count and a high level of inbreeding. Chemical compounds that have created abnormalities in Florida panther reproduction include herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides such as benomyl , carbendazim , chlordecone , methoxychlor , methylmercury , fenarimol , and TCDD . The Florida panther has low genetic diversity due to
5841-662: A stellar 56–15–6 record, tallying 118 points, and overcoming the Colorado Avalanche in the quest for the Presidents' Trophy . After an Avalanche defeat, and a Panthers 4–0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on April 28, the Panthers clinched the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history. They would end the regular season with 122 points, with a 58–18–6 record, the best record registered in
6018-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
6195-480: A team record for the lowest attendance at a home opener, with only 11,419 spectators in attendance. The team's next game against the Ottawa Senators marked the team's lowest attendance ever, with only 7,311 in attendance. Despite finishing with a record of 38–29–15, the Panthers missed the 2015 playoffs by seven points. On December 8, 2015, the Panthers announced that they signed a 13-year lease, and an $ 86 million funding agreement with Broward County and would have
6372-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
6549-422: A variety of environmental and genetic factors. Factors that include habitat destruction contributed to the formation of an isolated population of puma in the Florida panther. Isolation was followed by a gradual decline in the population size that increased the likelihood of inbreeding depression . The lower genetic diversity and higher rates of inbreeding led to the increased expression of deleterious traits in
6726-483: A variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games,
6903-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
7080-633: Is a large anthropomorphic Florida panther and is the Panther's official mascot. He is named for the Stanley Cup . Further, Stanley C. Panther was introduced during the 1995–96 season. He was named by Darrel Ambrosini, a then-five-year-old fan of the team who creatively came up with the mascot's moniker. Viktor E. Ratt was introduced in October 2014 after much debate and honors the club's 1996 Stanley Cup Finals run where rats were tossed on ice . He
7257-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
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7434-467: Is an anthropomorphic rat . The Panthers' designated television market includes South Florida. In July 2024, amid Bally Sports 's bankruptcy, the Panthers announced an agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company and its Scripps Sports division, under a multi-year deal beginning in the 2024–25 season . Scripps' Miami-Fort Lauderdale station WSFL-TV 39 will serve as flagship station of the Panthers' television network, while WHDT-TV 9 will air games in
7611-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
7788-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
7965-451: Is considered to be a conservational flagship because it is a major contributor to the keystone ecological and evolutionary processes in their environment. A population of 240 panthers would require 8,000–12,000 square miles (21,000–31,000 km ) of habitat and sufficient genetic diversity to avoid inbreeding as a result of small population size. However, a study in 2006 estimated that about 3,800 square miles (9,800 km ) were free for
8142-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
8319-474: Is safer to cross than a road. The number of Florida panthers killed by vehicular collisions has increased in recent years, and traffic collisions were responsible for the majority of recorded panther deaths each year between 2014 and 2021. It was formerly considered endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN , but it has not been listed since 2008. It was listed as Felis concolor coryi in 1967 under
8496-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
8673-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
8850-470: The 1993–94 season , when they set the record for the most points by an expansion team in its inaugural season, which was later surpassed by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017–18 . In 1996, the team made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs , reaching the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the Colorado Avalanche . Between 1996 and 2020, the Panthers only qualified for
9027-478: The 2017 NHL expansion draft , the Panthers left Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith unprotected, despite the fact they both had 30-goal seasons on their resumes. In return for the unprotected players, the Vegas Golden Knights sent the Panthers a 2018 fourth-round draft pick, leaving the Panthers with the extra salary cap space. The Panthers instead chose to protect Nick Bjugstad , Mark Pysyk , and Alex Petrovic who all were eventually traded or no longer on
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#17327719864599204-590: The Big Cypress National Preserve , Everglades National Park , Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge , Picayune Strand State Forest , as well as rural communities in the counties of Collier , Hendry , Lee , Miami-Dade , and Monroe County . It is the only confirmed cougar population in the Eastern United States , and currently occupies 5% of its historic range. In the 1970s, an estimated 20 Florida panthers remained in
9381-421: The Big Cypress National Preserve , Everglades National Park , Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge , Picayune Strand State Forest , as well as rural communities in the counties of Collier , Hendry , Lee , Miami-Dade , and Monroe County . It is the only confirmed cougar population in the Eastern United States , and currently occupies 5% of its historic range. As of 2024, about 200 individuals are left in
9558-500: The Caloosahatchee River , are major barriers to natural population expansion. While young males wander over extremely large areas in search of an available territory, females occupy home ranges close to their mothers. For this reason, panthers are poor colonizers and expand their range slowly, despite occurrences of males far away from the core population. The National Park Service has identified mercury poisoning as
9735-663: The Columbus Blue Jackets , who selected winger Rick Nash , and in return, the Panthers received the right to trade first-round selections with the Blue Jackets in the 2003 NHL entry draft , a right which was not exercised when the Panthers received the first overall selection in 2003 as well. The Atlanta Thrashers , after picking goaltender Kari Lehtonen second overall, announced that the Panthers had given them two draft picks to guarantee that Bouwmeester would still be available for Florida's selection. Bouwmeester
9912-713: The Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Blockbuster Video magnate Wayne Huizenga was awarded an NHL franchise for Miami on December 10, 1992, the same day The Walt Disney Company earned the rights to start a team in Anaheim that would become the Mighty Ducks . At the time, Huizenga owned both the newly founded Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and a share of the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins . The entry fee
10089-651: The Nashville Predators in exchange for three draft picks – a first-round pick in 2008, a second-round pick in 2008 and a conditional second-round pick that could be used in 2007 or 2008. The move would eventually pay off when Vokoun was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. On July 28, 2007, Florida unveiled their new jerseys to over 11,000 fans at the BankAtlantic Center during the first intermission of
10266-481: The Philadelphia Flyers ; Bryan Murray was brought in from the Detroit Red Wings as his replacement. After another close brush with the playoffs, finishing the lockout -shortened 1994–95 season again in ninth, Neilson was fired following an argument with Murray regarding Ed Jovanovski , whom the Panthers chose as the number one overall pick at the 1994 NHL entry draft . Doug MacLean , who had been
10443-460: The Reebok Edge template in 2007, the Panthers revealed new uniform designs. The navy and white uniforms sported a thicker stripe on each sleeve along with added piping. In 2009, the Panthers unveiled a navy alternate uniform, featuring a roundel crest depicting a panther head surrounded by the team name. Powder blue replaced red as trim color and the alternate "FLA" sunshine logo was placed on
10620-588: The Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche , another team making its first Finals appearance. The Avalanche, however, swept the Panthers in four games. Despite losing in the Finals, the Panthers set a record for most wins by an expansion team in their first postseason appearance with 12 victories (this record would later be broken by the Vegas Golden Knights during their inaugural season in 2017–18). For his team's surprising success, Bryan Murray
10797-483: The TD Garden , and game 6, 7–5, at home to tie the series at 3. In the definitive game 7, the Panthers led 2–0 after the first period, but were down 3–2 with under two minutes left in the third period, facing elimination. However, after goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky left the net to bring an extra skater to the ice, Brandon Montour scored with under a minute left to play to send the game to overtime. In overtime, despite
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#173277198645910974-554: The Thunderdome before a then-NHL record crowd of 27,227. The Panthers had one of the most successful first seasons of any expansion team in league history, finishing just two points below .500 and narrowly missing out on the final 1994 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Their first-year success was attributed mainly to the trap defense that first-year coach Roger Neilson implemented. This conservative style
11151-425: The Vegas Golden Knights in five games. For the 2023–24 season , the Panthers were expected to regress in results, as it was believed their aggressive forechecking and stout defense would be figured out by rival teams. However, the Panthers once again enjoyed a successful season. They went 52–24–6 for 110 points, star center Sam Reinhart netted 57 goals (behind Auston Matthews for the league lead), and overtook
11328-526: The lockout -shortened 2012–13 season , the Panthers had an abysmal season. Unable to regain their form from last season, the Panthers suffered key injuries and fell back down into the basement with the worst record in the League. In the 2013–14 season , the Panthers failed to gain any momentum and finished 29th out of 30 teams. The team then fired head coach Kevin Dineen and replaced him with Peter Horachek . At
11505-673: The "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for
11682-849: The 19th century are too similar to be recognized as distinct. It was reclassified and subsumed to the North American cougar ( P. c. couguar ) in 2005. Despite these findings, it was still referred to as a distinct subspecies P. c. coryi in 2006. In 2017, the Cat Classification Taskforce of the Cat Specialist Group revised the taxonomy of Felidae , and now recognises all cougar populations in North America as P. c. couguar . The Florida panther lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks and mixed freshwater swamp forests . Its range includes
11859-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
12036-509: The 2011 trade deadline or released during the 2011 off-season, save for Gudbranson, Bjugstad and Howden. At the end of the 2010–11 season , just Stephen Weiss and David Booth remained from the pre-lockout era Panthers roster. On June 1, 2011, Kevin Dineen , head coach of the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Portland Pirates , was named to be the 11th head coach of the Panthers. The team also rebranded their image, releasing
12213-611: The Boston Bruins in the last regular season game for the Atlantic Division crown, their third in franchise history. Barkov became the franchise's all-time points leader in a 5–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on March 20. The Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5–2 at home, while the Bruins were ousted by the Ottawa Senators , 3–1, to win the division. In the first round of the 2024 playoffs ,
12390-560: The Carolina Hurricanes. As such, they were pitted against division and statewide rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round of the playoffs . They were defeated in six games by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, for yet another first round exit. In the 2021–22 season , Quenneville led the Panthers to a 7–0–0 record through the team's first seven games, but he would resign from his coaching duties as
12567-652: The Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, and continues to be protected as an endangered animal under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 . Recovery efforts are currently underway in Florida to conserve the state's remaining population of native panthers. This is a difficult task, as the panther requires contiguous areas of habitat – each breeding unit, consisting of one male and two to five females, requires about 200 square miles (500 km ) of habitat. This animal
12744-400: The Florida panther include nighttime speed reduction zones, special roadsides, headlight reflectors, and rumble strips . Another method of reducing collisions is the creation of wildlife corridors . Because wildlife corridors emulate the natural environment, animals are more likely to cross through a corridor rather than a road because a corridor provides more cover for prey and predators, and
12921-723: The Florida panther population, introducing more genetic variation. The results indicated that the survival rates of hybrid kittens were three times higher than those of purebred pumas. Due to the successes of this restoration effort, the genetic depletion of the Florida panther population is now not as much of a problem as it used to be, but is being monitored since the population is still in a fragile state. Florida panthers live in home ranges between 190 and 500 square kilometres (73 and 193 sq mi). Within these ranges are many roads and human constructions, which are regularly traveled on by Florida panthers and can result in their death by vehicular collision. Efforts to reduce collisions with
13098-536: The Florida panther through poaching and wildlife control measures. Besides human mortality, the biggest threat to the Florida panther is habitat fragmentation . It was historically persecuted, and the population reduced to a small area in southern Florida. The population became inbred with individuals having kinked tails, and heart and sperm problems. The two highest causes of mortality for individual Florida panthers are automobile collisions and territorial aggression between Florida panthers. When these incidents injure
13275-576: The Flyers as a free agent. The Panthers moved into the brand new National Car Rental Center (now known as Amerant Bank Arena ) in 1998. In 1998–99 , they acquired Pavel Bure (the "Russian Rocket"), in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks . They then reached the playoffs again in 1999–2000 , losing in a first round sweep to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils . The team slumped in 2000–01 . Afterward, Huizenga sold
13452-423: The IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on the ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at
13629-528: The NHL's national broadcast television rights agreement. Outside of South Florida, the Panthers' games will be broadcast on ESPN+ . Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot
13806-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
13983-610: The NHL. The team's local broadcasting rights were held by Bally Sports Florida (formerly SportsChannel and Fox Sports Florida) from 1996 to 2024 when they made a new broadcast deal with Scripps Sports . The Panthers are primarily affiliated with two minor league teams: the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL . The Panthers began playing in
14160-547: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
14337-480: The Panthers faced the Boston Bruins in the first round and won in five games. Bill Lindsay 's series-clinching goal is still a trademark image for the run the third-year franchise went on. The Panthers went on to upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six games followed by the second-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in seven (with Tom Fitzgerald scoring what would end up being the game-winning goal) to reach
14514-411: The Panthers missed the playoffs for an eighth-straight season, the then-longest streak in the NHL. In November 2009, Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel became the new majority owners. On November 23, 2009, the Panthers made their third jersey, ridding red from the alternate jersey, replacing it with powder blue. The Panthers missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive time in the 2009–10 season , making them
14691-406: The Panthers never advancing past the first round, leaving the Panthers without a playoff series win since 1996 . Panthers management hired Bill Zito to succeed Tallon as the team's general manager on September 2, 2020. During the shortened 2020–21 season , the Panthers compiled 79 points in 56 games played, finishing the season in second place in the temporary Central Division , one point behind
14868-664: The Panthers played against their rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and won the series in five games. In the next round, the Panthers played the Boston Bruins again, this time winning the series in six games. In the conference finals, they won the six-game series against the New York Rangers, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year, where they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Florida Panthers have had just two primary logos over
15045-529: The Panthers slowly gained momentum, aided by Barkov's return, and eventually finished the season with a 42–32–8 record, good enough for 92 points and the last wild card spot, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. As such, they were set to battle the record-breaking, 135-point Boston Bruins in the first round . As the heavy underdogs in the series, the Panthers were down 3–1 after losing game 4 at home. However, they won game 5 in overtime, 4–3 at
15222-527: The Panthers to an ownership group led by Alan Cohen. The following season, 2001–02 , the Panthers had their worst record ever. Bure struggled despite being reunited with his brother Valeri , and was traded to the Rangers at the 2002 trade deadline. The Panthers then began eyeing defenseman Jay Bouwmeester , who was widely tipped to be picked first overall pick at the 2002 NHL entry draft . However, then-general manager Rick Dudley sent Florida's first pick to
15399-574: The Panthers trademark since 1991, when he purchased it from a group of Tampa investors who sought to create an MLB team in the Tampa Bay area. The new franchise joined the NHL for participation in the 1993–94 season , along with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . The Panthers' and Ducks' rosters were filled in both the expansion draft and the 1993 NHL entry draft in June 1993, hosted by Quebec City ; that draft produced ten players who would eventually be
15576-436: The Panthers were again involved in a blockbuster trade with Vancouver, sending Roberto Luongo , Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft pick ( Sergei Shirokov ) in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi , Alex Auld and Bryan Allen . This trade has been regarded by some as one of the worst trades in professional sports history – Luongo, who was at the prime of his career, was one of the League's top goaltenders, while Bertuzzi played just
15753-599: The Panthers' 1996 Reunion game. Star forwards Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss were both in full gear to help showcase the sweater changes. In June 2008, the Panthers traded their captain Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick and defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton . The Panthers finished the 2008–09 season with a strong 41–30–11 record and 93 points, their second-highest finish in franchise history. Despite this, however,
15930-529: The Stanley Cup playoffs five times, not winning a playoff series in that span. However, since the 2020–21 season , the Panthers have found postseason success. They won their first playoff series in two decades in 2022 , and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 where they fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. The following year, the Panthers returned to the Stanley Cup Finals , winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by defeating
16107-548: The Stuart-West Palm Beach market. WFTX-TV 36.3 will air games in the Fort Myers-Naples market. The Panthers will launch an in-market streaming service titled Panthers+ to carry the games. WPLG 10 is the Panther's local ABC affiliate, which may also air selected Panthers games by virtue of the NHL's broadcast television rights with ABC . Further, Panthers games may also air on TNT by virtue of
16284-566: The Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida went completely dry offensively, scoring only three goals throughout the whole four-game series. After being swept in the second round by the Lightning, general manager Bill Zito decided to move on from interim head coach Andrew Brunette. On June 22, 2022, the Panthers hired Paul Maurice to be the franchise's 18th head coach. Later that same off-season, the Panthers traded away Hart Memorial Trophy nominee forward Jonathan Huberdeau , defenseman MacKenzie Weegar ,
16461-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
16638-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
16815-488: The conference finals, which resulted in a 3–2 Panthers victory with Matthew Tkachuk scoring the game-winning goal with 12.7 seconds left in quadruple overtime. The Panthers would then sweep the Hurricanes in four games which included a goal by Tkachuk with 4.3 seconds left in game 4. This would be the first time the Panthers had ever swept a playoff series. They advanced to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals , where they lost to
16992-411: The course of their history. Their first logo, used from 1993 to 2016, depicted a leaping panther. Other logos from the era included an alternate version of the "leaping panther" logo, this time holding a pair of broken hockey sticks, and a logo depicting a yellow sun behind a hockey stick and a palm tree. The "leaping panther" logo was redesigned and relegated to an alternate logo when the Panthers unveiled
17169-447: The daytime to prairie grasslands at night. The implications of these findings suggest that conservation efforts must be focused on the full range of habitats used by Florida panther populations. Female panthers with cubs build dens for their litters in an equally wide variety of habitats, favoring dense scrub, but also using grassland and marshland. In 2003, a controversy began involving the leading Florida panther expert David Maehr. He
17346-402: The endangered panther population. Panther kittens are born in dens created by their mothers, often in dense scrub. The dens are chosen based on a variety of factors, including prey availability, and have been observed in a range of habitats. Kittens will spend the first 6–8 weeks of life in those dens, dependent on their mother. In the first 2–3 weeks, the mother spends most of her time nursing
17523-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
17700-535: The field of panthers to study black bears in Kentucky ; he died in a plane accident in 2008, while doing bear research. If encountered, the advice for people is not to run since this may stimulate the panther's instinct to chase. Instead, it is best to stand and face the animal and make eye contact. Most Florida panthers will avoid a confrontation. In the event of being attacked, an individual should fight back, without turning their back. Further, there has never been
17877-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
18054-617: The first professional ice hockey team in Miami since the folding of the Tropical Hockey League in 1939. Huizenga initially wanted to name the team the "Block Busters" in honor of his video rental chain. The team would have the same colors as the video rental chain (blue and gold) and even a uniform concept was designed. In the end, the NHL rejected the nickname. On April 20, 1993, a press conference in Ft. Lauderdale announced that
18231-646: The first round of the playoffs ; this would be the first playoff series win for the Islanders since the 1992–93 season. Head coach Gerard Gallant was nominated as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award , which recognizes the NHL Coach of the Year. The 2016–17 season began with the promotion of general manager Dale Tallon to an executive position within the organization and assistant general manager Tom Rowe
18408-449: The first team in NHL history to do so in one city. Panthers management hired Dale Tallon as the team's new general manager on May 17, 2010. Tallon rebuilt the team with 2010 draft picks Erik Gudbranson , Nick Bjugstad and Quinton Howden , as well as the acquisition of players, including Steve Bernier , Michael Grabner , Marty Reasoner , Ryan Carter and Sergei Samsonov . All of the above-mentioned players, however, were traded at
18585-528: The first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and
18762-511: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
18939-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
19116-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
19293-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
19470-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
19647-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
19824-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
20001-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
20178-568: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
20355-501: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. Florida panther The Florida panther is a North American cougar ( P. c. couguar ) population in South Florida . It lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks and mixed freshwater swamp forests . Its range includes
20532-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
20709-513: The kittens; after this period, she spends more time away from the den, to wean the kittens and to hunt prey to bring to the den. Once they are old enough to leave the den, they hunt in the company of their mother. Male panthers are not encountered frequently during this time, as female and male panthers generally avoid each other outside of breeding. Kittens are usually 2 months old when they begin hunting with their mothers, and 2 years old when they begin to hunt and live on their own. Humans threaten
20886-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
21063-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
21240-477: The league since division rivals Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018–19 . On May 13, the Panthers advanced past the first round for the first time in 26 years, dating back to the 1996 conference finals , by beating the Washington Capitals in six games, eliminating them with a 4–3 overtime victory. However, their luck would run out in the second round, as the Panthers were swept in four games by the archrival
21417-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
21594-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
21771-530: The male and female were released in early 2013 to the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area and Collier County , respectively. Primary threats to the population as a whole include habitat loss , habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation. Southern Florida is a fast-developing area, and many developments such as Ave Maria near Naples , have become extremely controversial for their location in prime panther habitat, and for
21948-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
22125-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
22302-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
22479-442: The opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass the puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking
22656-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
22833-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
23010-571: The panthers, federal and Florida wildlife officials take them to White Oak Conservation in Yulee, Florida , for recovery and rehabilitation until they are well enough to be reintroduced. Additionally, White Oak raises orphaned kittens and has done so for 12 individuals. Most recently, an orphaned brother and sister were brought to the center at 5 months old in 2011 after their mother was found dead in Collier County, Florida . After being raised,
23187-412: The panthers. The introduction of eight female cougars from a closely related Texas population has apparently been successful in mitigating inbreeding problems. One objective to panther recovery is establishing two additional populations within historic range, a goal that has been politically difficult. Florida panthers, usually wandering males, have occurred as vagrants outside of Florida. In 2008,
23364-468: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
23541-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
23718-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
23895-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
24072-454: The populations, resulting in lower overall fitness of the Florida panther population. This also lowers the adaptive capacity of the population and increases the likelihood of genetic defects such as cryptorchidism and other complications to the heart and immune system. Specifically concerning the Florida panther, one of the morphological consequences of inbreeding was a high frequency of cowlicks and kinked tails. The frequency of exhibiting
24249-592: The presence of infection is difficult to find. In the 2002–2003 capture season, feline leukemia virus was first observed in two panthers. Further analysis determined an increase in FeLV-positive panthers from January 1990 to April 2007. The virus is lethal, and its presence has resulted in efforts to inoculate the population. While no new cases have been reported since July 2004, the virus does have potential for reintroduction. In August 2019, Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified, through
24426-578: The prey base is. Female panthers frequently shift both their home range and movement behavior due to their reproductive rates. According to a 2022 study from the University of Georgia, Florida panthers are now the main cause of death for white-tailed deer in Southwest Florida. Of 241 deer captured and fitted with GPS collars during the study, 96 were killed by Florida panthers. This shows improved health (and therefore ability to hunt) in
24603-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
24780-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
24957-514: The puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
25134-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
25311-413: The puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before the 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive
25488-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
25665-450: The rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck quipped was "a rat trick ." Two nights later, as the story found its way into the world, a few fans threw rubber rats on the ice in celebration of a goal. The rubber rat count went from 16 for the third home game to over 2,000 during the playoffs. In the 1996 playoffs , as the fourth seed in the East,
25842-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
26019-418: The roads surrounding them that kill panthers at an ever increasing rate. Fragmentation by major roads has severely segmented the sexes of the Florida panther, as well. In a study done between 1981 and 2004, most panthers involved in car collisions were found to be male. However, females are much more reluctant to cross roads. Therefore, roads separate habitat, and adult panthers. Development, as well as
26196-425: The season with general manager Bryan Murray. The change did not aid matters, as Florida posted a franchise-worst 24–43–15 record, including a 15-game winless streak. This season also marked the end of goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck's time in Florida; in the midst of that streak, he was shelled by the Chicago Blackhawks and never played another game for the Panthers. In the following off-season, Vanbiesbrouck signed with
26373-540: The season, the Panthers were able to finish first in the Southeast Division, marking the end of their record-setting decade-long postseason drought. The Panthers won the first-ever division title in franchise history with a 4–1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on April 7, 2012. However, the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils, losing at home in double overtime of game 7. In
26550-410: The shoulders. This uniform was used for three seasons. Before the 2011–12 season, the Panthers retired their primary navy uniforms and returned to wearing red uniforms at home. The piping on the chest was also eliminated. The Panthers overhauled their visual design prior to the 2016–17 season, replacing yellow with flat gold as trim color. Red uniforms featured the shield logo with the team name, while
26727-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
26904-444: The sleeves and the yoke design was triangular in shape. Yellow and navy were used as accent colors. In 1998, the Panthers debuted an alternate navy uniform, with the front crest depicting the leaping panther holding a pair of broken hockey sticks. Prior to the 2003–04 season, the navy uniform became the primary home uniform while the red uniform was relegated to alternate status. The crests on both uniforms were also switched. Adopting
27081-514: The species, being smaller than cougars from colder climates, but larger than cougars from the Neotropics . Adult female Florida panthers weigh 29–45.5 kg (64–100 lb), whereas the larger males weigh 45.5–72 kg (100–159 lb). Total length is from 1.8 to 2.2 m (5.9 to 7.2 ft) and shoulder height is 60–70 cm (24–28 in). Male panthers, on average, are 9.4% longer and 33.2% heavier than females because males grow at
27258-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
27435-544: The team within the next two years. The expansion draft would later haunt the Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals as the Vegas Golden Knights would defeat the Panthers in five games with Marchessault winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and Smith scoring the series-clinching goal. The 2017–18 season began with a 19–22–6 record leading up to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game . The Panthers then went on
27612-491: The team would be named Florida Panthers, with former New York Islanders general manager Bill Torrey as president and Bobby Clarke as general manager. The team is named for the Florida panther , an endangered species of large cat endemic to the nearby Everglades region. Once the logos and uniforms were unveiled on June 15, the team also announced its financial commitment to the panther preservation cause. Huizenga had held
27789-540: The team's player development director, was promoted to coach. The team then acquired Ray Sheppard from the San Jose Sharks at the NHL trade deadline and looked toward the playoffs for the first time. A very unusual goal celebration developed in Miami during the 1995–96 season . On the night of the Panthers' 1995–96 home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Scott Mellanby reacted by " one-timing "
27966-422: The third straight season. The next day, Joel Quenneville was named the 16th head coach of the Panthers. Longtime goaltender Roberto Luongo retired at the conclusion of the 2018–19 season . Tallon made a splash on the first day of free agency to replace the retired Luongo and signed two-time Vezina Trophy -winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal. At the time of the signing, Bobrovsky's contract
28143-473: The time. The hiring of head coach Maurice and the Tkachuk trade proved to be successful in the following seasons. For the 2022–23 season , the Panthers looked to carry on their positive regular season streak. However, the team was hampered by injuries, most notably to star center Aleksander Barkov, who was sidelined for a large portion of the season. Despite being outside of playoff contention by February 2023,
28320-430: The trade deadline, the Panthers reacquired Roberto Luongo from Vancouver. The Panthers would relieve Horachek of his duties at the end of the season, replacing him with former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Gerard Gallant . The team also received the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL entry draft , using it to select Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad . The Panthers' 2014–15 home opener on October 12, 2014, set
28497-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
28674-564: The use of game cameras, eight endangered panthers affected by an apparent neurological disorder, but were unable to identify any potential infectious diseases that can affect felines and other species. Exposure to a variety of chemical compounds in the environment has caused reproductive impairment to Florida panthers. Tests show that the differences between males and females in estradiol levels are insignificant, which suggests that males have been feminized due to chemical exposure. Feminized males are much less likely to reproduce, which represents
28851-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
29028-420: The white uniforms used the variation with the state name. An alternate logo featuring the flag of Florida below a crawling panther is added on the sleeves. Both sets feature thick contrasting stripes on the chest and sleeves. The basic design was retained once Adidas took over as supplier prior to the 2017–18 season. For the 2020–21 season, the Panthers released a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform, essentially
29205-596: The wild, but their numbers had increased to an estimated 230 by 2017. The Florida panther is a large carnivore whose diet consists both of small animals, such as raccoons , armadillos , nutrias , hares , mice , and waterfowl , and larger prey such as storks , white-tailed deer , feral pigs , and small American alligators . The Florida panther is an opportunistic hunter, and has been known to prey on livestock and domesticated animals, including cattle, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens, dogs, and cats. When hunting, panthers shift their hunting environment based on where
29382-463: The wild. Florida panthers are spotted at birth, and typically have blue eyes. As the panther grows, the spots fade and the coat becomes completely tan, while the eyes typically take on a yellow hue. The panther's underbelly is a creamy white, and it has black tips on the tail and ears. Florida panthers lack the ability to roar, and instead make distinct sounds that include whistles, chirps, growls, hisses, and purrs. Florida panthers are average-sized for
29559-567: Was $ 50 million. Huizenga announced the team would play at the Miami Arena , sharing the building with the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Miami Heat , until a new arena was built. Offices for the team were only established in June 1993, while vice president of business operations Dean Jordan conceded that "none of the business people, myself included, knew anything about hockey." The new franchise would be
29736-434: Was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of
29913-752: Was covertly paid by land developers to produce faulty science papers that were used to permit construction projects that destroyed Florida panther habitat. In light of accusations against Maehr's work, recovery agencies appointed a panel of four experts, the Florida Panther Scientific Review Team (SRT), to evaluate the soundness of the body of work used to guide panther recovery. The SRT identified serious problems with Maehr's literature, including poor citations and misrepresentation of data to support unsound conclusions. A Data Quality Act (DQA) complaint brought by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Andrew Eller,
30090-474: Was deemed a risk and gamble due to the contract value, Bobrovsky's inconsistent play, and his age. On August 10, 2020, after nine years as general manager, the Panthers and Tallon mutually agreed to part ways, following the team's elimination in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs . In Tallon's tenure, the Panthers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times, in 2012 , 2016 , and 2020 with
30267-543: Was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as
30444-630: Was featured on a United States Postal Service forever stamp as part of the Endangered Species set, based on a photograph from Joel Sartore 's Photo Ark . The stamp was dedicated at a ceremony at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota . The Florida panther was also prominently featured in the 2022 documentary Path of the Panther , which highlights conservation efforts to protect
30621-489: Was honored as NHL Executive of the Year. The Panthers began the next season with a 12-game unbeaten streak, but faded in the second half of the season after trading second line center Stu Barnes . They lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs to the Wayne Gretzky -led New York Rangers . The team would plummet in the 1997–98 season . After a 7–12–4 start, the Panthers fired Doug MacLean, replacing him for
30798-460: Was permitted that should not have been, and documented the link between incorrect data and financial conflicts of interest. David Maehr was covertly paid by developers, and his faulty science research gave developers the necessary permitting to clear forests needed by the panthers to retain a viable breeding population. In January 2006, USFWS released a new draft Florida Panther Recovery Plan for public review. The discredited Maehr left Florida and
30975-457: Was promoted to general manager. After an 11–10–1 start to the season, the Panthers fired head coach Gerard Gallant and general manager Tom Rowe took over as interim head coach. At the end of the season, Rowe was relieved of his duties as both coach and general manager and was named special advisor to Tallon, who returned to positions of team president and general manager. On June 12, 2017, the Panthers named Bob Boughner as their new head coach. In
31152-674: Was selected third overall by the Panthers. Said then-head coach Mike Keenan , "We shouldn't have done that ... Jay would have been number-one if we'd kept that pick." In 2003, the Panthers hosted the NHL All-Star weekend in which the Western Conference earned a 6–5 victory after the first overtime shootout in All-Star history. The West overcame a four-goal outburst by Thrashers winger Dany Heatley , who took home MVP honors in his first All-Star appearance. On June 23, 2006,
31329-533: Was widely criticized by NHL teams; some even suggested that the Panthers were ruining the game. While the team executives expected the audience to consist of mostly " snowbird " Canadians living in Florida, the Floridians soon embraced the Panthers. Helped by Miami's other teams having middling performances, the club averaged 94% capacity at the 14,500-seat Miami Arena, and sold 8,500 season tickets in 100 days. In August 1994, general manager Clarke left to work for
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