The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded as an expansion franchise in 1993, and play their home games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The Panthers have made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, in 1996, losing to the Colorado Avalanche. They also reached the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2000, and most recently qualified in 2017. The team advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in 1996 and 2012. The Panthers have a Florida-based rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as historical rivalries with the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers.
The franchise owns the NHL’s best regular season record since the 1998-99 season, winning the Atlantic Division three times and the Eastern Conference Championship once. The Panthers are currently the only team in their division to have never missed the playoffs.
In the 2015-16 season, the Florida Panthers were the most improved team in terms of points, going from 66 to 103. They qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in franchise history, and first since 2012. They also set a franchise record for most home wins in a season with 25. The Panthers’ regular season success carried over into the playoffs, as they upset the heavily favored New York Islanders in the First Round. They then lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The 2016-17 season saw the Panthers continue their success from the previous season. They again qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and this time advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 2017-18 season was a disappointing one for the Panthers, as they failed to make the playoffs.
The 2018-19 season was another successful one for the Panthers, as they qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. They were once again upset in the First Round by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues.
The 2019-20 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.