Florida Panthers - National Hockey League

The second this team was introduced into the National Hockey League on December 10, 1992, I fell in love with the team. Living in Houston at the time, I was still with my heart in Florida (meaning I never wanted to leave). From Houston, I began following this team and carried that back to Florida and now Arizona. 

After my father died in August 1992, this became a huge mechanism to take the sting off the grief of his death. Losing your father a week before your 14th birthday is an unimaginable loss, so when the Panthers came in the league after the Lightning it was a way for a much needed outlet at the time. 

Been on the bandwagon since the team played their first game in October 1993. 

Florida has been to the Stanley Cup Final four times in their franchise history (1996, 2023, 2024, and 2025). I was bummed when they lost to Colorado in 1996 and burned when they lost to Vegas in 2023. But the sting of those defeats were wiped out in 2024 and then again in 2025 after Florida won consecutive championships. 

Florida defeated Edmonton in both 2024 and 2025 to secure their first two championships in franchise history.

Growing up, was not able to attend games until I moved back to Florida in 1996. However, once I moved to Arizona, I never let that stop as I went to a few games here in Phoenix and have been to two games in Las Vegas. Living in the west, hard to see them live. 

Got the chance to finally see them play live on September 18, 1997 against Washington in Tallahassee as part of the NHL preseason. First regular season game I ever saw them play was in Tampa on April 18, 1998. 

Had the pleasure of seeing them play in Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. 

But thank God for ESPN Plus where I can stream them live in action now.