Why do Florida Panthers fans throw plastic rats? Tradition's history, explained
The Stanley Cup Final is shifting to the Florida Panthers' home arena in Sunrise, Florida, for Games 3 and 4.
And that means the return of the barrage of plastic rats being thrown onto the ice after a Panthers victory at Amerant Bank Arena.
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An octopus (representing the eight wins once needed to win the Stanley Cup) occasionally lands on the ice during Detroit Red Wings games. Nashville Predators fans sometimes sneak in a catfish and toss it on the ice. And, of course, the ice gets littered with hats when someone scores a three-goal hat trick.
But why plastic rats? Here's a look at the history:
Origin of plastic rats at Panthers games
It stems from the 1995-96 season when Florida's Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the old Miami Arena. He scored two goals that night, which a teammate called a 'rat trick.'
Fans picked up on the story and started throwing plastic rats on the ice after the Panthers scored goals that season, a magical one in which the team went to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's third year of existence.
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The Panthers were swept in the championship round with Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy telling teammates "no more rats" after he gave up a goal in Game 3. He shut out the Panthers the rest of the way, including a 1-0 triple-overtime win in Game 4.
The NHL, which didn't appreciate the long cleanup needed after each Panthers goal, changed rules that offseason to make throwing items on the ice after a goal subject to a delay of game penalty. So now rats get tossed after games.
Panthers championship rings
When the Panthers won their first Stanley Cup title last season, they included a rat on their championship rings.
Brad Marchand adds to the history
The Panthers acquired Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins in March in a shocking move at the trade deadline.
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He has played a big role in the team's playoff success, including the double-overtime goal in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers.
His nickname is Rat, so teammates shoot plastic rats at his legs before he leaves the ice after a win.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why do Panthers fans throw plastic rats after home wins?
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