Florida Panthers Logo — Florida Panthers is a professional team of ice hockey in the United States. Founded in 1993 as an expansion team in the NHL, the club is located in Sunrise, a city near Fort Lauderdale in the state of Florida. The team plays in the National Hockey League framed in the Southeast Division.

On December 10th of 1992 the NHL awarded an expansion franchise to a project led by Wayne Huizenga, founder of Blockbuster Video, which would establish an ice hockey team in the state of Florida. The new team would be called Florida Panthers and, together with the Anaheim Ducks, debuted in the 1993-94 season in a game against Chicago Blackhawks that ended with a 4-4 draw. In his first season the Panthers were on the verge of qualifying for playoffs but did not achieve their purpose for only one position. Part of his success was due to the tactics of his coach, Roger Neilson, who used ultra-defensive but effective system.

Neilson is dismissed in 1995 after failing to qualify for playoffs again, and the franchise contract as coach Doug MacLean. Under his direction, the Panthers would achieve qualifying for the playoffs to finishing third in their division. However, the team knew and got a surprise move in the playoff rounds beating Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the final of the Stanley Cup. His rivals, Colorado Avalanche, beat Florida in four games and finally The Panthers failed to win the title. The club’s winning streak continued in the following season, reaching 17 wins in a row fit in the regular season, but with worse luck in playoff to be eliminated in first round.

For 2007 the club again made ​​significant changes to transfers in exchange for draft choices, making the hiring of Tomas Vokoun, and change their uniforms. The following season, his star Olli Jokinen goes to Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for several elections in future draft, and the club has set a goal back for the playoffs in the near future.

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