1995–96 Florida Panthers season

1995–96 Florida Panthers
Eastern Conference champions
Division3rd Atlantic
Conference4th Eastern
1995–96 record41–31–10
Home record25–12–4
Road record16–19–6
Goals for254
Goals against234
Team information
General managerBryan Murray
CoachDoug MacLean
CaptainBrian Skrudland
Alternate captainsScott Mellanby
Gord Murphy
ArenaMiami Arena
Average attendance13,278
Minor league affiliate(s)Carolina Monarchs
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
Detroit Falcons
Team leaders
GoalsScott Mellanby (32)
AssistsRobert Svehla (49)
PointsScott Mellanby (70)
Penalty minutesPaul Laus (236)
Plus/minusBill Lindsay (+13)
WinsJohn Vanbiesbrouck (26)
Goals against averageJohn Vanbiesbrouck (2.68)

The 1995–96 Florida Panthers season was the 3rd season of the franchise that was established in 1993 and is tied for their most successful season ever, until 2024, when they won the Stanley Cup Finals. In only their third season in the National Hockey League, the Panthers qualified for the playoffs, and won three playoff series to become Eastern Conference champions. In the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, Florida lost to the Colorado Avalanche in four games. The Panthers would not win another playoff series until 2022.

Offseason

Head coach Roger Neilson was fired on June 8.[1] Player-development director Doug MacLean was named his replacement on July 24.[2]

Regular season

Year of the Rat

A very unusual goal celebration developed in Miami. On the night of the Panthers' 1995–96 home opener, a rat scurried across the Florida locker room. Panthers winger Scott Mellanby reacted by "one-timing" the rat against the wall, killing it [1]. That night he scored two goals, which goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck quipped was "a rat trick". Two nights later, as the story found its way into the world, a few fans threw rubber rats on the ice in celebration of a goal. The rubber rat count went from 16 for the third home game to over 2,000 during the playoffs. In an amusing coincidence, 1996 was also year of the Rat according to Chinese astrology.

In the 1996 playoffs, as the fourth seed, the Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins in five games, then upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six and the second-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Their opponents, the Colorado Avalanche, eliminated the Panthers in four games.

Final standings

Atlantic Division
No. GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 Philadelphia Flyers 82 45 24 13 282 208 103
2 New York Rangers 82 41 27 14 272 237 96
3 Florida Panthers 82 41 31 10 254 234 92
4 Washington Capitals 82 39 32 11 234 204 89
5 Tampa Bay Lightning 82 38 32 12 238 248 88
6 New Jersey Devils 82 37 33 12 215 202 86
7 New York Islanders 82 22 50 10 229 315 54
Eastern Conference[3]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 Philadelphia Flyers ATL 82 45 24 13 282 208 103
2 Pittsburgh Penguins NE 82 49 29 4 362 284 102
3 New York Rangers ATL 82 41 27 14 272 237 96
4 Florida Panthers ATL 82 41 31 10 254 234 92
5 Boston Bruins NE 82 40 31 11 282 269 91
6 Montreal Canadiens NE 82 40 32 10 265 248 90
7 Washington Capitals ATL 82 39 32 11 234 204 89
8 Tampa Bay Lightning ATL 82 38 32 12 238 248 88
9 New Jersey Devils ATL 82 37 33 12 215 202 86
10 Hartford Whalers NE 82 34 39 9 237 259 77
11 Buffalo Sabres NE 82 33 42 7 247 262 73
12 New York Islanders ATL 82 22 50 10 229 315 54
13 Ottawa Senators NE 82 18 59 5 191 291 41

Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs


Playoffs

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

The fifth-seeded Boston Bruins had one of the best offenses in the Eastern Conference, scoring 282 goals led by Cam Neely (26 goals) and Adam Oates (25 goals, 67 assists). The Panthers won their first-ever playoff game 6-3 before a sold out Miami Arena,[4] and soon built a 3–0 lead despite being outshot by the Bruins on all games.[5] The Bruins stepped up to win Game 4 with a 6-2 blowout before the Boston crowd.[6] Game 5 was tied 3-3 when with 4:57 left, Bill Lindsay scored with a dive through the air goal while being tripped by star defenseman Ray Bourque, giving the Panthers their first-ever playoff series victory.[7] This was the last year in a record 29 consecutive seasons in the playoffs for the Bruins, as they missed the 1997 post-season.[8]

Eastern Conference Semifinals

The Philadelphia Flyers finished atop the Eastern Conference in the regular season with 103 points, led by the high-scoring "Legion of Doom" and the strong goaltending of Garth Snow and Ron Hextall. Philadelphia had just eliminated the other Florida team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in 5 games after overcoming a 2–1 series deficit.[9]

Vanbiesbrouck posted a 2–0 shutout in Game 1,[10] and it took until midway through Game 2 for the Flyers to get rolling offensively in a narrow 3–2 win.[11] Game 3 saw Flyers veterans Dan Quinn, Dale Hawerchuk, Eric Desjardins and Hextall set the tone in a 3–1 victory.[9] With young defenseman Ed Jovanovski tightly covering Flyers superstar Eric Lindros, the Panthers reversed the tide,[12] defeating the Flyers in overtime in Game 4 and double-overtime in Game 5, in what would turn out to be the last Flyers game at the Spectrum.[13] Lindros promised to win game 6 to return the series to Philadelphia, but the Panthers won with a 4–1 score. Florida became the third team to reach the conference finals in their third season – following fellow expansion team New York Islanders in 1975 and the Quebec Nordiques in 1982.[14]

Eastern Conference Finals

The 2-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins were energized by the return of Mario Lemieux, who missed the entire 1994–95 season due to injury, and had the league's best offense, scoring 362 goals, and the most wins in the Eastern conference with 49, finishing just one point behind the Flyers. The Penguins advanced to the third round for the first time since 1992, defeating the Washington Capitals in six games and the New York Rangers in five games.

Despite being outshot 33–25 in game one the Panthers came out on top with an impressive 5–1 win, with 32 saves by Vanbiesbrouck and two goals by forward Tom Fitzgerald. The Penguins wanting to avoid going down two games to none against the Panthers came out with a better effort in game two and won the game 3–2 and evened the series at one game each. In game three the Panthers fired an incredible 61 shots on Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso and it paid off as the Panthers won 5–2 – two goals by Stu Barnes – to take a 2–1 series lead. The Penguins tied game four on Brad Lauer's goal with 11:03 remaining in regulation, and Bryan Smolinski scored with 3:31 to go to give the Penguins a 2–1 lead, tying the series. In game five the Penguins shut out the Panthers 3–0, with Barrasso stopping 28 shots.

Leading the series three games to two Pittsburgh looked to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in game six. The Penguins led 2–1 in the second period but the Panthers scored three of the next four goals and edged the Penguins 4–3 to tie the series at 3–3. In game seven Florida got a 1–0 lead on Mike Hough's goal at 13:13 of the first period. After a scoreless second period Pittsburgh tied the game on Petr Nedvěd's power-play goal at 1:23 of the third period. The Panthers regained the lead on Tom Fitzgerald's bizarre 58-foot slapshot at 6:18 and got an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlov at 17:23. Florida hung on to win the game 3–1, with a total of 39 saves by Vanbiesbrouck, and closed the series four games to three.[15]

By reaching the finals in only their third season, the Panthers became the fastest expansion team to do so since the St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup finals in their first three seasons. Many Panthers players were managing their first trips to the finals after long careers, such as Vanbiesbrouck (13 years).

Stanley Cup Finals

In the first Stanley Cup Finals where neither team had ever reached the decision before, the Panthers faced the Colorado Avalanche, who were in their inaugural season after relocating from Quebec City. Led by captain Joe Sakic, forward Peter Forsberg and defenceman Adam Foote, the Avalanche got even stronger once goaltender Patrick Roy joined the team in December 1995. The Avalanche finished the season with a 47–25–10 record for 104 points, won the Pacific Division and finished second in the Western Conference. On their way to the Western title, the Avs beat the Vancouver Canucks, the Chicago Blackhawks and Presidents' Trophy winners Detroit Red Wings, all in six games.[16]

The series started in Denver, and the Avs dominated the Panthers at the McNichols Sports Arena. On game 1, Vanbiesbrouck shut out Colorado for half the game, before three goals were scored in a stretch of 3:49 minutes in the second period, leading to a 3–1 victory. The following game was an 8–1 blowout, starting with three power play goals in the first period as Florida incurred in bad penalties that forced Vanbiesbrouck to be pulled out in favor of Mark Fitzpatrick. Returning to Miami, Game 3 was closer, with Florida scoring twice in the first period. But the Avs still came through, taking over the lead with a Joe Sakic goal early in the second period and holding on to a 3–2 victory.[17]

With their backs to the wall, the Panthers played a defensive game four. Vanbiesbrouck and Roy stood out, combining for 118 saves, and the two teams played a marathon game that took until the third overtime period. Uwe Krupp's unassisted goal at 4:31 ended 44 minutes and 31 seconds of overtime and gave the Avalanche a 1–0 win and a four-games-to-none series win. Goaltender Patrick Roy stopped all 63 shots he faced. Colorado outscored Florida 15–4 in the series, and Patrick Roy stopped 147 of 151 shots, for a save percentage of .974. Joe Sakic was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, having led all skaters in goals with 18, and points with 34. For both Patrick Roy and Claude Lemieux, it was their third Stanley Cup win in eleven years.

Schedule and results

Regular season

1995–96 regular season[18]
October: 7–4–0 (home: 5–2–0; road: 2–2–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
1 L October 7, 1995 0–4 @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 0–1–0 Recap
2 W October 8, 1995 4–3 Calgary Flames (1995–96) 1–1–0 Recap
3 W October 11, 1995 6–1 Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) 2–1–0 Recap
4 W October 13, 1995 6–2 Ottawa Senators (1995–96) 3–1–0 Recap
5 W October 15, 1995 5–3 New York Islanders (1995–96) 4–1–0 Recap
6 L October 17, 1995 3–6 Chicago Blackhawks (1995–96) 4–2–0 Recap
7 W October 21, 1995 3–0 Hartford Whalers (1995–96) 5–2–0 Recap
8 W October 24, 1995 6–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1995–96) 6–2–0 Recap
9 L October 25, 1995 2–7 @ Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) 6–3–0 Recap
10 W October 28, 1995 4–1 @ Ottawa Senators (1995–96) 7–3–0 Recap
11 L October 31, 1995 4–5 OT New York Islanders (1995–96) 7–4–0 Recap
November: 10–2–1 (home: 7–1–1; road: 3–1–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
12 W November 2, 1995 2–1 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) 8–4–0 Recap
13 W November 3, 1995 3–2 @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) 9–4–0 Recap
14 W November 5, 1995 4–1 Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 10–4–0 Recap
15 W November 7, 1995 4–2 Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) 11–4–0 Recap
16 W November 9, 1995 2–1 Edmonton Oilers (1995–96) 12–4–0 Recap
17 W November 11, 1995 4–1 Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) 13–4–0 Recap
18 W November 14, 1995 5–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1995–96) 14–4–0 Recap
19 T November 16, 1995 2–2 OT Vancouver Canucks (1995–96) 14–4–1 Recap
20 L November 18, 1995 2–3 @ Los Angeles Kings (1995–96) 14–5–1 Recap
21 W November 19, 1995 4–3 @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995–96) 15–5–1 Recap
22 W November 21, 1995 4–3 New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 16–5–1 Recap
23 W November 26, 1995 5–1 Los Angeles Kings (1995–96) 17–5–1 Recap
24 L November 29, 1995 1–2 OT Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) 17–6–1 Recap
December: 8–4–1 (home: 3–1–1; road: 5–3–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
25 L December 1, 1995 1–2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) 17–7–1 Recap
26 W December 2, 1995 5–3 @ Hartford Whalers (1995–96) 18–7–1 Recap
27 W December 5, 1995 4–3 @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) 19–7–1 Recap
28 T December 7, 1995 3–3 OT Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995–96) 19–7–2 Recap
29 W December 9, 1995 3–1 Boston Bruins (1995–96) 20–7–2 Recap
30 W December 11, 1995 2–1 @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 21–7–2 Recap
31 W December 12, 1995 3–1 @ New York Islanders (1995–96) 22–7–2 Recap
32 L December 14, 1995 4–6 @ Boston Bruins (1995–96) 22–8–2 Recap
33 W December 16, 1995 7–2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 23–8–2 Recap
34 W December 21, 1995 6–1 Winnipeg Jets (1995–96) 24–8–2 Recap
35 W December 23, 1995 2–1 New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 25–8–2 Recap
36 L December 28, 1995 4–5 Washington Capitals (1995–96) 25–9–2 Recap
37 L December 30, 1995 5–6 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) 25–10–2 Recap
January: 6–4–3 (home: 3–1–0; road: 3–3–3)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
38 L January 3, 1996 2–7 @ Vancouver Canucks (1995–96) 25–11–2 Recap
39 W January 5, 1996 3–2 @ Edmonton Oilers (1995–96) 26–11–2 Recap
40 L January 6, 1996 0–2 @ Calgary Flames (1995–96) 26–12–2 Recap
41 W January 8, 1996 5–2 @ San Jose Sharks (1995–96) 27–12–2 Recap
42 T January 10, 1996 4–4 OT @ Colorado Avalanche (1995–96) 27–12–3 Recap
43 T January 12, 1996 6–6 OT @ Dallas Stars (1995–96) 27–12–4 Recap
44 W January 16, 1996 4–1 San Jose Sharks (1995–96) 28–12–4 Recap
45 T January 22, 1996 1–1 OT @ Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) 28–12–5 Recap
46 W January 23, 1996 5–4 @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) 29–12–5 Recap
47 L January 25, 1996 2–6 Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) 29–13–5 Recap
48 W January 27, 1996 6–3 Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) 30–13–5 Recap
49 W January 29, 1996 2–1 Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) 31–13–5 Recap
50 L January 31, 1996 1–6 @ Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) 31–14–5 Recap
February: 4–5–3 (home: 2–3–2; road: 2–2–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
51 T February 1, 1996 2–2 OT @ Boston Bruins (1995–96) 31–14–6 Recap
52 W February 3, 1996 5–3 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 32–14–6 Recap
53 L February 6, 1996 2–4 @ Detroit Red Wings (1995–96) 32–15–6 Recap
54 W February 8, 1996 3–1 Detroit Red Wings (1995–96) 33–15–6 Recap
55 T February 11, 1996 2–2 OT St. Louis Blues (1995–96) 33–15–7 Recap
56 L February 14, 1996 2–4 Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) 33–16–7 Recap
57 L February 16, 1996 4–5 OT Colorado Avalanche (1995–96) 33–17–7 Recap
58 W February 18, 1996 6–4 Dallas Stars (1995–96) 34–17–7 Recap
59 W February 21, 1996 4–1 @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 35–17–7 Recap
60 L February 24, 1996 0–4 New York Rangers (1995–96) 35–18–7 Recap
61 L February 25, 1996 1–6 @ Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) 35–19–7 Recap
62 T February 29, 1996 2–2 OT Washington Capitals (1995–96) 35–19–8 Recap
March: 3–9–1 (home: 3–3–0; road: 0–6–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
63 L March 2, 1996 1–7 @ Hartford Whalers (1995–96) 35–20–8 Recap
64 L March 5, 1996 0–2 @ St. Louis Blues (1995–96) 35–21–8 Recap
65 L March 7, 1996 3–5 @ Winnipeg Jets (1995–96) 35–22–8 Recap
66 L March 10, 1996 1–4 Boston Bruins (1995–96) 35–23–8 Recap
67 L March 11, 1996 4–8 @ Chicago Blackhawks (1995–96) 35–24–8 Recap
68 T March 13, 1996 3–3 OT @ New York Rangers (1995–96) 35–24–9 Recap
69 W March 17, 1996 3–0 New Jersey Devils (1995–96) 36–24–9 Recap
70 W March 19, 1996 5–2 Ottawa Senators (1995–96) 37–24–9 Recap
71 W March 21, 1996 3–2 New York Islanders (1995–96) 38–24–9 Recap
72 L March 23, 1996 2–4 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 38–25–9 Recap
73 L March 27, 1996 0–3 @ New York Rangers (1995–96) 38–26–9 Recap
74 L March 28, 1996 2–3 Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) 38–27–9 Recap
75 L March 30, 1996 1–2 Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 38–28–9 Recap
April: 3–3–1 (home: 2–1–0; road: 1–2–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
76 W April 1, 1996 3–2 Hartford Whalers (1995–96) 39–28–9 Recap
77 L April 3, 1996 2–3 @ Ottawa Senators (1995–96) 39–29–9 Recap
78 L April 6, 1996 1–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) 39–30–9 Recap
79 W April 8, 1996 5–3 @ New York Rangers (1995–96) 40–30–9 Recap
80 L April 10, 1996 1–2 Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) 40–31–9 Recap
81 T April 12, 1996 1–1 OT @ New York Islanders (1995–96) 40–31–10 Recap
82 W April 14, 1996 5–1 New York Rangers (1995–96) 41–31–10 Recap
Legend:

  Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1996 Stanley Cup playoffs[18]
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (5) Boston Bruins – Panthers win 4–1
Game Result Date Score Opponent Attendance Decision Series Recap
1 W April 17, 1996 6–3 Boston Bruins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 1–0 Recap
2 W April 22, 1996 6–2 Boston Bruins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 2–0 Recap
3 W April 24, 1996 4–2 @ Boston Bruins 14,922 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 3–0 Recap
4 L April 25, 1996 2–6 @ Boston Bruins 14,810 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 3–1 Recap
5 W April 27, 1996 4–3 Boston Bruins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers win 4–1 Recap
Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. (1) Philadelphia Flyers – Panthers win 4–2
Game Result Date Score Opponent Attendance Decision Series Recap
1 W May 2, 1996 2–0 @ Philadelphia Flyers 17,380 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 1–0 Recap
2 L May 4, 1996 0–2 @ Philadelphia Flyers 17,380 Vanbiesbrouck Series tied 1–1 Recap
3 L May 7, 1996 2–3 Philadelphia Flyers 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Flyers lead 2–1 Recap
4 W May 9, 1996 4–3 OT Philadelphia Flyers 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 W May 12, 1996 2–1 2OT @ Philadelphia Flyers 17,380 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 3–2 Recap
6 W May 14, 1996 4–1 Philadelphia Flyers 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers win 4–2 Recap
Eastern Conference Finals vs. (2) Pittsburgh Penguins – Panthers win 4–3
Game Result Date Score Opponent Attendance Decision Series Recap
1 W May 18, 1996 5–1 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 17,355 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 1–0 Recap
2 L May 20, 1996 2–3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 17,181 Vanbiesbrouck Series tied 1–1 Recap
3 W May 24, 1996 5–2 Pittsburgh Penguins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers lead 2–1 Recap
4 L May 26, 1996 1–2 Pittsburgh Penguins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 L May 28, 1996 0–3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 17,355 Vanbiesbrouck Penguins lead 3–2 Recap
6 W May 30, 1996 4–3 Pittsburgh Penguins 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Series tied 3–3 Recap
7 W June 1, 1996 3–1 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 17,355 Vanbiesbrouck Panthers win 4–3 Recap
Stanley Cup Finals vs. (W2) Colorado Avalanche – Avalanche win 4–0
Game Result Date Score Opponent Attendance Decision Series Recap
1 L June 4, 1996 1–3 @ Colorado Avalanche 16,061 Vanbiesbrouck Avalanche lead 1–0 Recap
2 L June 6, 1996 1–8 @ Colorado Avalanche 16,061 Vanbiesbrouck Avalanche lead 2–0 Recap
3 L June 8, 1996 2–3 Colorado Avalanche 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Avalanche lead 3–0 Recap
4 L June 10, 1996 0–1 3OT Colorado Avalanche 14,703 Vanbiesbrouck Avalanche win 4–0 Recap
Legend:

  Win   Loss

Player statistics

Scoring

  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
  • † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.
No. Player Pos Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM
27 Scott Mellanby RW 79 32 38 70 4 160 22 3 6 9 −10 44
44 Rob Niedermayer C 82 26 35 61 1 107 22 5 3 8 −8 12
24 Robert Svehla D 81 8 49 57 −3 94 22 0 6 6 3 32
29 Johan Garpenlov LW 82 23 28 51 −10 36 20 4 2 6 −2 8
14 Stu Barnes C 72 19 25 44 −12 46 22 6 10 16 10 4
26 Jesse Belanger‡ C 63 17 21 38 −5 10 — — — — — —
12 Jody Hull RW 78 20 17 37 5 25 14 3 2 5 4 0
21 Tom Fitzgerald RW 82 13 21 34 −3 75 22 4 4 8 3 34
11 Bill Lindsay RW 73 12 22 34 13 57 22 5 5 10 6 18
6 Jason Woolley D 52 6 28 34 −9 32 13 2 6 8 3 14
5 Gord Murphy D 70 8 22 30 5 30 14 0 4 4 1 6
9 Radek Dvorak RW 77 13 14 27 5 20 16 1 3 4 2 0
20 Brian Skrudland C 79 7 20 27 6 129 21 1 3 4 6 18
10 Dave Lowry LW 63 10 14 24 −2 36 22 10 7 17 8 39
18 Mike Hough LW 64 7 16 23 4 37 22 4 1 5 5 8
55 Ed Jovanovski D 70 10 11 21 −3 137 22 1 8 9 2 52
2 Terry Carkner D 73 3 10 13 10 80 22 0 4 4 8 10
8 Magnus Svensson D 27 2 9 11 −1 21 — — — — — —
26[a] Ray Sheppard† RW 14 8 2 10 0 4 21 8 8 16 4 4
25 Geoff Smith D 31 3 7 10 −4 20 1 0 0 0 −1 2
3 Paul Laus D 78 3 6 9 −2 236 21 2 6 8 3 62
28 Martin Straka† C 12 2 4 6 1 6 13 2 2 4 −2 2
16 Gilbert Dionne† LW 5 1 2 3 0 0 — — — — — —
15 Brett Harkins LW 8 0 3 3 −2 6 — — — — — —
23[b] Rhett Warrener D 28 0 3 3 4 46 21 0 1 1 3 0
19 Brad Smyth RW 7 1 1 2 −3 4 — — — — — —
51 David Nemirovsky RW 9 0 2 2 −1 2 — — — — — —
34 John Vanbiesbrouck G 57 0 2 2 10 22 0 1 1 20
22 Bob Kudelski‡ RW 13 0 1 1 1 0 — — — — — —
40 Steve Washburn C 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0
7 Mike Casselman† C 3 0 0 0 −1 0 — — — — — —
30 Mark Fitzpatrick G 34 0 0 0 12 2 0 0 0 0

Goaltending

No. Player Regular season Playoffs
GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
34 John Vanbiesbrouck 57 26 20 7 1473 142 2.68 .904 2 3178 22 12 10 735 50 2.25 .932 1 1332
30 Mark Fitzpatrick 34 15 11 3 810 88 2.96 .891 0 1786 2 0 0 30 6 6.00 .800 0 60

Awards and records

Awards

Type Award/honor Recipient Ref
League
(annual) 		NHL All-Rookie Team Ed Jovanovski (Defense) [19]
League
(in-season) 		NHL All-Star Game selection Doug MacLean (coach) [20]
Scott Mellanby
John Vanbiesbrouck

Milestones

Milestone Player Date Ref
First game Radek Dvorak October 7, 1995 [21]
Rhett Warrener
David Nemirovsky October 8, 1995
Ed Jovanovski November 2, 1995
Mike Casselman February 24, 1996
Brad Smyth February 25, 1996
Steve Washburn April 14, 1996

Transactions

Trades

The Panthers acquired Ray Sheppard from the San Jose Sharks on the trade deadline in 1996.

Draft picks

Florida's draft picks at the 1995 NHL entry draft held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta.[22]

Round Pick Player Nationality College/junior/club team
1 10 Radek Dvorak (RW)  Czech Republic HC České Budějovice (Czech)
2 36 Aaron MacDonald (G)  Canada Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
3 62 Mike O'Grady (D)  Canada Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
4 80 Dave Duerden (LW)  Canada Peterborough Petes (OHL)
4 88 Daniel Tjarnqvist (D)  Sweden Rögle BK (Sweden)
5 114 Francois Cloutier (LW)  Canada Hull Olympiques (QMJHL)
7 166 Peter Worrell (LW)  Canada Hull Olympiques (QMJHL)
8 192 Filip Kuba (D)  Czech Republic HC Vítkovice (Czech Republic)
9 218 David Lemanowicz (G)  Canada Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Notes

  1. ^ Sheppard wore number 16 in his first two games.
  2. ^ Warrener wore number 45 in his first eleven games

References

  • "Florida Panthers 1995-96 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  • "1995-96 Florida Panthers Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  1. ^ "Panthers fire coach Roger Neilson - UPI Archives". UPI. June 8, 1995. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "MacLean hired to increase Panthers' roar". Tampa Bay Times. July 25, 1995. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "1995–1996 Conference Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  4. ^ "History: 1996 Playoffs". Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "1996 N.H.L. PLAYOFFS;Panthers Put Bruins TO Wall". The New York Times. April 25, 1996. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ "Bruins 6, Panthers 2". UPI. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "N.H.L. PLAYOFFS;Panthers Eliminate Bruins". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 28, 1996. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ^ "From Bruins to Ruins : After 30 Years, Another Boston Tradition--Playoff Hockey--Crumbles Beneath Weight of Inept Team". Los Angeles Times. April 8, 1997. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  10. ^ "HOCKEY;Vanbiesbrouck Blanks Flyers as Panthers Jump on Top". The New York Times. May 3, 1996.
  11. ^ "DUELING GOALIES: PANTHERS, FLYERS TIE AT 1". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Looking back at the Florida Panthers' 1996 playoff run". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "Remembering the Spectrum: Flyers say goodbye after 29 years". Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  14. ^ Nobles, Charlie (May 15, 1996). "NHL PLAYOFFS;Surprising Panthers Eliminate the Flyers". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via NYTimes.com.
  15. ^ "Florida Panthers' 1996 rat pack celebration a well-deserved honor | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016.
  16. ^ Farber, Michael. "WITH BRILLIANT TRADES AND BLENDED TALENT, THE AVALANCHE CAPTURED THE STANLEY CUP, GIVING COLORADO ITS FIRST MAJOR PRO CHAMPIONSHIP". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Farber, Michael. "SHOW STOPPERS COLORADO, A DYNASTY IN THE MAKING, SWEPT FLORIDA TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "1995-96 Florida Panthers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  19. ^ "Postseason All-Star Teams". NHL.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  20. ^ "1996 NHL All-Star Game Rosters". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  21. ^ "1995-96 NHL Debuts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  22. ^ "1995 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.