Fans who attended Opening Night on October 8, 1995, witnessed the beginning of Rat Trick lore, including two Scott Mellanby goals in the 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames at Miami Arena.

Panthers fans celebrated a fun piece of hockey history with a commemorative puck for the NHL’s first Rat Trick. On Opening Night 1995, Scott Mellanby scored two goals with the same hockey stick he had ...

No season lives in Panthers fans’ memories like 1995-1996, when the team made its historic run to the Stanley Cup Final. Known as “The Year of The Rat,” after Scott Mellanby killed a rat with his stic ...

In a 4-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes, Jonathan Huberdeau contributed three assists. Following his great game the forward skated around the ice with a victory rat.

Local businesses were quick to realize the power of the rat during the team’s 1996 Stanley Cup Final run. A local radio station got in on the fun with a rat-themed good luck token.

A hand-written message on a rat projectile wished the Panthers good luck during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The scrawled no. 27 and capital M made this rat specific to the man behind the Rat Trick, ...

Complete with a faux fur rat tail, the Mr. Rat blazer was an eccentric way to wear Panthers pride on your sleeve. The costume could have been a precursor to the Viktor E. Ratt mascot.

Marti Huizenga, the wife of team founder and former owner H. Wayne Huizenga, was one of the most dedicated Panthers fans of all time. During the 1996 postseason, Mrs. Huizenga reportedly smuggled doze ...

Prior to the 1996-1997 season, the NHL implemented a new rule prohibiting fans from throwing objects onto the ice. The new rule was likely a response to the now-legendary “Year of the Rat,” in which P ...

An NHL rule was introduced in September 1996 prohibiting fans from throwing objects onto the ice, including plastic rats. The Panthers and Miami Arena reminded fans of this new rule in a March 1997 Br ...