A plastic rat sits on the boards before a playoff game against the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers Round 1 NHL Playoffs at BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida.

As the rat scampered into the team’s dressing room, no one was thinking about its potential to become an iconic symbol of the team, the source of a decades-long tradition for fans, a cottage ...

“I hope we get some rats thrown at us,” Marchand quipped at his locker on Sunday, before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. “I just hope it’s on the ice and not outside." Marchand got his wish.

The rat-throwing tradition dates back to the Panthers' third season as an NHL franchise. Ahead of Florida's home opener in 1995-96, forward Scott Mellanby spotted a rat running through the team's ...

Mellanby then took his stick and slapped the rat, sending it flying into a wall and killing it. Later that night, Mellanby scored two goals as Florida defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 for the team ...

Toy rats litter the ice as the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers scuffle at the end of the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals in Sunrise, Fla., Monday, June 9, 2025.

The rat-throwing tradition dates back to the Panthers' third season as an NHL franchise. Ahead of Florida's home opener in 1995-96, forward Scott Mellanby spotted a rat running through the team's ...

The rat-throwing tradition dates back to the Panthers' third season as an NHL franchise. Ahead of Florida's home opener in 1995-96, forward Scott Mellanby spotted a rat running through the team's ...

“I hope we get some rats thrown at us,” Marchand quipped at his locker on Sunday, before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. “I just hope it’s on the ice and not outside." Marchand got his wish.