11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
What's the Panthers' playoff record based on who bangs the drum? A team-by-team breakdown
The Florida Panthers have gotten some big names in the South Florida sports world and beyond to take part in their pregame drum banging ceremony over their Stanley Cup Final runs the past three years.
It started with former Panthers forward Billy Lindsay, an original Panther who was part of Florida's first ever Cup Final team in 1996 and is now part of the team's radio broadcast, banging the drum ahead of Game 6 in the first-round against the Boston Bruins in 2023. It has continued ever since, with 29 total pregame performances.
The stars have done their job of hyping up the crowd pregame. Perhaps no one did it bigger than when former Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo put up an emphatic performance ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers last season, a game Florida eventually won 2-1 for its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
With the Panthers once again in position to win a championship, up 3-2 on the Oilers entering Game 6 of their Cup Final rematch on Tuesday, expect a big name to get the Amerant Bank Arena crowd going before the 8 p.m. puck drop.
But who? The Panthers haven't said directly, although Luongo posted a GIF on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account Monday of Will Ferrell from the movie 'Step Brothers' banging on a drum set with the caption 'Warming up in the bullpen.'
But beyond the star power attention, is there a trend with how the Panthers fare on the ice based on the team with whom the drum banger is affiliated?
Let's get this out of the way early: No, the Miami Dolphins are not a curse for the Panthers as some fans are posturing on social media. People with Dolphins ties have made nine appearances banging the drum prior to a Panthers playoff game over the past three years, and Florida has gone 6-3 in that stretch — including 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final. Granted, two of those losses have come in their past two appearances, with current defensive lineman Zach Sieler in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final and Hall of Fame defensive lineman Jason Taylor in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final this year.
In fact, here is how the Panthers' win-loss record breaks down based on the team the person banging the drum is affiliated with (with one-offs or people not affiliated one of South Florida's professional sports teams lumped together):
▪ Miami Heat: 4-0 — Udonis Haslem, Goran Dragic, Alonzo Mourning and Bam Adebayo.
▪ Florida Panthers: 3-0 — Lindsay in Game 6 of Round 1 against Boston in 2023, Luongo in Game 7 of the 2024 Cup Final and Keith Yandle in Game 3 of the second round against Toronto in 2025.
▪ Miami Marlins: 3-1 — wins with Jeff Conine, Juan Pierre and Livan Hernandez; a loss with Charles Johnson.
▪ Miami Dolphins: 6-3 — wins with Mike McDainiel (twice), Dan Marino, Jalen Ramsey, Jaylen Waddle and Jonnu Smith; losses with Raheem Mostert, Sieler and Taylor.
▪ Miscellaneous: 3-3 — wins with UFC fighter Kamaru Usman, social media personalities A.J. and Big Justice, and rapper Trick Daddy; losses with NFL players Mike White and Mark Ingram plus drummer Jason Bonham
▪ Golfers: 0-2 — Jack Nicklaus did it in the 2024 Cup Final and Brooks Koepka in the 2023 Cup Final, with Florida falling in both games.
▪ Inter Miami: 0-1 — midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi is Inter Miami's lone representative here, banging the drum before Game 3 of Round 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning this year.
The full game-by-game breakdown, in chronological order, is below.
2023
First Round Game 6: Former Panthers forward Billy Lindsay (W)
Second Round Game 3: Former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem (W)
Second Round Game 4: NFL quarterback and Plantation native Mike White (L)
Eastern Conference final Game 3: Former Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine (W)
Eastern Conference final Game 4: Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (W)
Stanley Cup Final 3: Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino (W)
Stanley Cup Final 4: Golfer Brooks Koepka (L)
2024
First Round Game 1: Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (W)
First Round Game 2: Former Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (W)
First Round Game 5: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (W)
Second Round Game 1: Drummer Jason Bonham (L)
Second Round Game 2: Former Marlins outfielder Juan Pierre (W)
Second Round Game 5: Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert (L)
Eastern Conference final Game 3: NFL running back Mark Ingram (L)
Eastern Conference final Game 4: Former Marlins pitcher Livan Hernandez (W)
Eastern Conference final Game 6: UFC fighter Kamaru Usman (W)
Stanley Cup Final Game 1: Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel (W)
Stanley Cup Final Game 2: Former Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning (W)
Stanley Cup Final Game 5: Golfer Jack Nicklaus (L)
Stanley Cup Final Game 7: Former Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo (W)
2025
First Round Game 3: Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi (L)
First Round Game 4: Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (W)
Second Round Game 3: Social media personalities A.J. and Big Justice (W)
Second Round Game 4: Former Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (W)
Second Round Game 6: Former Marlins catcher Charles Johnson (L)
Eastern Conference final Game 3: Rapper Trick Daddy (W)
Eastern Conference final Game 4: Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler (L)
Stanley Cup Final Game 3: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (W)
Stanley Cup Final Game 4: Former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Jason Taylor (L)
