The story behind Florida Panthers fans' rat-throwing tradition
The story behind Florida Panthers fans' rat-throwing tradition originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Will it be raining fake rats throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again?
The Florida Panthers captured their first-ever championship in the 2024 NHL postseason, outlasting the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game Stanley Cup Final thriller. And Florida is one series victory away from reaching a third straight Cup Final.
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The Panthers, the Atlantic Division's No. 3 seed, opened the 2025 playoffs with a five-game series victory over the No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning before getting past the No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven-game battle. Florida is now in the Eastern Conference Final for the third straight year, squaring off against the Metro Division's No. 2-seeded Carolina Hurricanes in a rematch of the 2023 ECF.
As Florida attempts to join an exclusive group of repeat champions, viewers will see Panthers fans celebrate their team's victories — both at home and on the road — by throwing fake rats onto the ice. This most recently happened after Florida's 5-0 road win over Carolina in Game 2, giving the Panthers a 2-0 conference final series lead.
But exactly how and when did that rodent-related celebration become a tradition? Here's what to know:
Why do Florida Panthers fans throw rats onto the ice?
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 locker room. Mellanby then took his stick and slapped the rat, sending it flying into a wall and killing it.
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Later that night, Mellanby scored two goals as Florida defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 for the team's first win of the season. And following the victory, goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck told reporters that Mellanby had recorded a 'rat trick.'
But some Panthers players became upset when they learned that one of the team's equipment managers, Scott Tinkler, had gotten rid of the dead rat, according to NHL.com.
'They asked if I kept it,' Tinkler recounted to NHL.com. 'No! It's a huge dead rat! I picked it up with a stick and threw it away. Some of the guys wanted to take it to a taxidermist or something.'
So, when Tinkler was at a mall a few days later, he spotted a rubber rat in a Halloween store, purchased it and placed it in the locker room where the actual rat had died, per NHL.com. Once the rat shrine became public knowledge, Panthers fans began throwing fake rats onto the ice — at first only when Mellanby scored and eventually after every Panthers goal.
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The Panthers' 1995-96 campaign would ultimately become known as the 'Year of the Rat.' After two losing seasons, the team made a run all the way to the 1996 Cup Final. (The Year of the Rat on the Chinese Zodiac calendar was also 1996).
Following Florida's 1996 Cup Final loss, the NHL banned the throwing of rats after goals, citing the extended delay to clear the ice it can cause.
But to this day, rats will still come raining down onto the ice following Panthers wins. The tradition isn't limited to just home games, either, as the rats have made appearances following Panthers road victories, as well.
What is the Florida Panthers' mascot?
The Panthers even have a rat mascot — the aptly-named Viktor E. Ratt was introduced in 2014. Stanley C. Panther, the team's other mascot, has been around since the franchise's inaugural season.
Editor's note: This story was first published in 2024.
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