1993–94 Florida Panthers
Division5th Atlantic
Conference9th Eastern
1993–94 record33–34–17
Home record15–18–9
Road record18–16–8
Goals for233
Goals against233
Team information
General managerBob Clarke
CoachRoger Neilson
CaptainBrian Skrudland
Alternate captainsJoe Cirella
Scott Mellanby
ArenaMiami Arena
Average attendance14,190
Minor league affiliate(s)Cincinnati Cyclones
Birmingham Bulls
Team leaders
GoalsScott Mellanby (30)
AssistsScott Mellanby (30)
PointsScott Mellanby (60)
Penalty minutesBrent Severyn (156)
Plus/minusBrian Skrudland (+13)
WinsJohn Vanbiesbrouck (21)
Goals against averageJohn Vanbiesbrouck (2.53)

The 1993–94 Florida Panthers season was the Panthers' first season. Blockbuster Video magnate H. Wayne Huizenga was awarded an NHL franchise for his native Miami in 1992. The team played at the Miami Arena, and its first major stars were New York Rangers goaltender castoff John Vanbiesbrouck, rookie Rob Niedermayer, and Scott Mellanby, who scored 30 goals during the regular season.

The Panthers were surprisingly competitive for a first-year expansion team, and ultimately finished just one game below .500 and two[lower-alpha 1] points short of qualifying for the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Regular season

October

The Panthers played their first ever regular season game on October 6, as they recorded a 4-4 tie on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Mellanby scored the first ever Panthers goal, against Ed Belfour. On October 9, in their third game, the club earned their first victory and shutout, as John Vanbiesbrouck made 36 saves in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. On October 12, Florida played their first home game, losing 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Mellanby scored the first goal on home ice. The Panthers first win at home came on October 14, as they defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4, as Rob Niedermayer scored the winning goal midway through the third period. In a game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 19, the Panthers fired 52 shots at Kings goaltender Kelly Hrudey, however, the club had to settle for a 2-2 tie.

After a five-game winless streak, in which Florida posted a 0-3-2 record, the team finished October with two consecutive wins, defeating the New York Islanders 5-2 and the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Florida finished the month with a 4-5-3 record, good for fifth in the Atlantic Division, and tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference.

November

Florida opened November with two consecutive losses, before heading out for a three-game road trip. Florida went a perfect 3-0-0 on the road, highlighted by a 3-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Montreal Canadiens, as John Vanbiesbrouck led the way with 37 saves. The Panthers struggled on their five-game homestand, as they went 1-4-0, only earning a victory against the Washington Capitals. Florida ended the month on a quick two game road trip, losing to the Boston Bruins, then suffered their first ever shutout loss, as they were defeated 4-0 by the Hartford Whalers.

At the end of November, the Panthers had a record of 8-13-3, earning 19 points, and sat in sixth in the Atlantic Division, and 11th in the Eastern Conference.

December

Florida started December with a solid 2-1 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres, as Jesse Belanger scored the overtime winner, and John Vanbiesbrouck was solid with 33 saves. The Panthers then went on a five-game road trip, beginning with a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on December 5. On December 7, Florida faced their expansion cousins, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, winning the game 3-2. The next night, the Panthers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 6-5. They finished their road swing with a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets and a 4-4 tie with the Dallas Stars, going 3-1-1. Florida finished the month continuing to play good hockey, going 3-1-2 in their remaining six games in December.

By the end of the month, Florida had an overall record of 15-15-6, getting 36 points, sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and 10th in the Eastern Conference, only one point out of eighth place for the final playoff position.

January

The Panthers began January where they left off in December, earning a 4-2 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on New Years Day, to move over the .500 level, and into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The club then began a six-game road trip, which began with two losses, 3-2 to the New York Rangers, and 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils. Florida rebounded in the next two games, earning ties against the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. The team finished the road trip with two wins, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-2, and the New York Islanders 2-1, to earn a respectable 2-2-2 record. Florida continued winning when the returned home, beating the Washington Capitals 5-1 on January 19, followed by an 8-3 blowout victory against the Montreal Canadiens to push their record to 20-17-8. The club finished January going 1-0-2 in their last three games, as they extended their overall unbeaten streak to nine games.

At the end of January, the Panthers had a 21-17-10 record, earning 52 points, and were in third place in the Atlantic Division, and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

February

The team opened February with two games on the road, and in the first game on February 1, the Panthers unbeaten streak came to an end, as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Florida 2-1. The Panthers rebounded the next night, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1, as Rob Niedermayer had two goals, and Mark Fitzpatrick made 32 saves for the win. The team returned home for two games, as they were blown out 7-2 against the Buffalo Sabres on February 4, however, Florida won their next game, shutting out the Boston Bruins 3-0, with Mark Fitzpatrick making 19 saves. The Panthers lost their next game in overtime, 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, as Eric Lindros scored the winning goal, however, the team followed up the heart breaking loss with a solid 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. On February 13, the Panthers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 to improve to 25-20-10 on the season.

The club then went on another quick two game road trip, where they lost both games, including a 7-3 blowout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. When returning home, the Red Wings defeated Florida again, this time by a 4-1 score, as the club was on a three-game losing streak. Florida snapped the losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, however, the team would lose their last three games of the month to fall back to the .500 level.

At the end of February, Florida had a 26-26-10 record, earning 62 points, which had them in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, and eighth in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers in points, however, Florida had two games in hand.

March

Florida continued to struggle into March, losing their first two games, 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils, and 4-1 to the Hartford Whalers, to push their losing streak to four games, and seven of their last eight games. On March 7, the team began a three-game road trip to Western Canada, and they put an end to their losing streak as Mark Fitzpatrick made 34 saves in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. In their next game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers won 5-3 to go back to the .500 level. The club finished the trip with a loss to the Calgary Flames by a 4-2 score.

Florida returned home for a six-game home stand, in which the Panthers went unbeaten, going 3-0-3, which included wins over the New York Rangers, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, making their overall season record at 31-29-13. On March 24, the Panthers nearly overcame a 4-0 deficit, losing 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, to end their unbeaten streak. The club rebounded in their next game, defeating the New York Islanders 3-1. The team ended March with two more losses though, losing to the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues.

By the end of March, the Panthers had a 32-32-13 record, earning 77 points, which had the club in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, and clinging to eighth in the Eastern Conference for the final playoff position, four points of the ninth place Philadelphia Flyers, and five ahead of the 10th place New York Islanders.

April

The club opened April with a disappointing 2-2 tie against the lowly Ottawa Senators at home before heading out on a three-game road trip. The Panthers continued to struggle, dropping a 3-2 decision to the New York Rangers. On April 5, the Panthers blew a 3-1 third period lead against the Quebec Nordiques, and settled for a 3-3 tie, extending their winless streak to five games. On April 7, Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit, earning a 3-3 tie against the Philadelphia Flyers. The club returned home for their final three games, and the winless streak continued, as the Panthers tied the New Jersey Devils 2-2, followed by a 5-2 loss to the Quebec Nordiques, pushing their winless streak to eight games, as Florida slipped into ninth place, behind the New York Islanders. On April 13, the Panthers were officially eliminated from the post-season, as the Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to clinch the eighth and final playoff position. The Panthers played their final game of the season on April 14, defeating the Islanders 4-1.

The Panthers finished the 1993-94 season with a 33-34-17 record, earning 83 points, which was an NHL record for points by an expansion team until the Vegas Golden Knights surpassed it in their first season. Florida finished the season in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, just one point of a playoff position.

Season standings

Atlantic Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
11New York Rangers8452248299231112
23New Jersey Devils84472512306220106
37Washington Capitals8439351027726388
48New York Islanders8436361228226484
59Florida Panthers8433341723323383
610Philadelphia Flyers8435391029431480
712Tampa Bay Lightning8430431122425171

[1] Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Schedule and results

No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1TOctober 6, 19934–4 OT@ Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94)0–0–1
2LOctober 7, 19933–5@ St. Louis Blues (1993–94)0–1–1
3WOctober 9, 19932–0@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)1–1–1
4LOctober 12, 19931–2Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)1–2–1
5WOctober 14, 19935–4Ottawa Senators (1993–94)2–2–1
6TOctober 17, 19933–3 OTTampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)2–2–2
7TOctober 19, 19932–2 OTLos Angeles Kings (1993–94)2–2–3
8LOctober 21, 19933–4 OTToronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)2–3–3
9LOctober 23, 19931–2@ New Jersey Devils (1993–94)2–4–3
10LOctober 26, 19932–5Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)2–5–3
11WOctober 28, 19935–2New York Islanders (1993–94)3–5–3
12WOctober 30, 19932–1 OTTampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)4–5–3
13LNovember 2, 19933–4Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)4–6–3
14LNovember 3, 19933–6@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)4–7–3
15WNovember 7, 19933–1@ Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)5–7–3
16WNovember 10, 19933–1@ Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)6–7–3
17WNovember 11, 19935–4@ Ottawa Senators (1993–94)7–7–3
18LNovember 14, 19932–5Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)7–8–3
19LNovember 16, 19932–4New York Rangers (1993–94)7–9–3
20LNovember 18, 19932–3Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94)7–10–3
21WNovember 20, 19934–3Washington Capitals (1993–94)8–10–3
22LNovember 23, 19931–2 OTHartford Whalers (1993–94)8–11–3
23LNovember 26, 19932–3@ Boston Bruins (1993–94)8–12–3
24LNovember 27, 19930–4@ Hartford Whalers (1993–94)8–13–3
25WDecember 2, 19932–1 OTBuffalo Sabres (1993–94)9–13–3
26LDecember 5, 19931–2@ San Jose Sharks (1993–94)9–14–3
27WDecember 7, 19933–2@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94)10–14–3
28WDecember 8, 19936–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1993–94)11–14–3
29WDecember 10, 19935–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)12–14–3
30TDecember 12, 19934–4 OT@ Dallas Stars (1993–94)12–14–4
31TDecember 15, 19933–3 OTMontreal Canadiens (1993–94)12–14–5
32LDecember 19, 19931–2 OTBoston Bruins (1993–94)12–15–5
33WDecember 22, 19933–2New York Rangers (1993–94)13–15–5
34WDecember 26, 19933–1@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)14–15–5
35TDecember 28, 19933–3 OT@ Washington Capitals (1993–94)14–15–6
36WDecember 29, 19935–3@ Hartford Whalers (1993–94)15–15–6
37WJanuary 1, 19944–2Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94)16–15–6
38LJanuary 3, 19942–3@ New York Rangers (1993–94)16–16–6
39LJanuary 7, 19941–4@ New Jersey Devils (1993–94)16–17–6
40TJanuary 8, 19942–2 OT@ Boston Bruins (1993–94)16–17–7
41TJanuary 13, 19942–2 OT@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)16–17–8
42WJanuary 15, 19945–2@ Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)17–17–8
43WJanuary 17, 19942–1@ New York Islanders (1993–94)18–17–8
44WJanuary 19, 19945–1Washington Capitals (1993–94)19–17–8
45WJanuary 24, 19948–3Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)20–17–8
46TJanuary 26, 19941–1 OT@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)20–17–9
47TJanuary 28, 19943–3 OTSan Jose Sharks (1993–94)20–17–10
48WJanuary 30, 19943–2@ Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)21–17–10
49LFebruary 1, 19941–2@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)21–18–10
50WFebruary 2, 19944–1@ Ottawa Senators (1993–94)22–18–10
51LFebruary 4, 19942–7Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)22–19–10
52WFebruary 6, 19943–0Boston Bruins (1993–94)23–19–10
53LFebruary 10, 19943–4 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)23–20–10
54WFebruary 12, 19944–3@ New York Islanders (1993–94)24–20–10
55WFebruary 13, 19942–1Vancouver Canucks (1993–94)25–20–10
56LFebruary 16, 19943–7@ Detroit Red Wings (1993–94)25–21–10
57LFebruary 18, 19941–4@ Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)25–22–10
58LFebruary 20, 19943–4 OTDetroit Red Wings (1993–94)25–23–10
59WFebruary 22, 19943–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)26–23–10
60LFebruary 24, 19941–2Washington Capitals (1993–94)26–24–10
61LFebruary 26, 19942–4@ Washington Capitals (1993–94)26–25–10
62LFebruary 28, 19943–4Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)26–26–10
63LMarch 2, 19942–3New Jersey Devils (1993–94)26–27–10
64LMarch 4, 19941–2Hartford Whalers (1993–94)26–28–10
65WMarch 7, 19942–1@ Vancouver Canucks (1993–94)27–28–10
66WMarch 9, 19945–3@ Edmonton Oilers (1993–94)28–28–10
67LMarch 11, 19942–4@ Calgary Flames (1993–94)28–29–10
68WMarch 14, 19942–1New York Rangers (1993–94)29–29–10
69WMarch 16, 19942–1Calgary Flames (1993–94)30–29–10
70TMarch 18, 19944–4 OTEdmonton Oilers (1993–94)30–29–11
71WMarch 20, 19945–3Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)31–29–11
72TMarch 21, 19943–3 OTNew Jersey Devils (1993–94)31–29–12
73TMarch 23, 19941–1 OTToronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)31–29–13
74LMarch 24, 19943–4@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)31–30–13
75WMarch 26, 19943–1@ New York Islanders (1993–94)32–30–13
76LMarch 28, 19944–5Dallas Stars (1993–94)32–31–13
77LMarch 30, 19941–3St. Louis Blues (1993–94)32–32–13
78TApril 2, 19942–2 OTOttawa Senators (1993–94)32–32–14
79LApril 4, 19942–3@ New York Rangers (1993–94)32–33–14
80TApril 5, 19943–3 OT@ Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)32–33–15
81TApril 7, 19943–3 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)32–33–16
82TApril 10, 19942–2 OTNew Jersey Devils (1993–94)32–33–17
83LApril 12, 19942–5Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)32–34–17
84WApril 14, 19944–1New York Islanders (1993–94)33–34–17

Player statistics

Forwards

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Scott Mellanby80303060149
Jesse Belanger7017335016
Andrei Lomakin7619284726
Brian Skrudland79152540136
Stu Barnes5918203830
Dave Lowry8015223764
Tom Fitzgerald8318143254
Bob Kudelski4414152910
Mike Hough786232962
Jody Hull691313268
Rob Niedermayer659172651
Bill Lindsay84661297
Scott Levins29561169
Mike Foligno3945949
Randy Gilhen2044816
Evgeny Davydov212688
Patrick Lebeau41124
Jamie Leach21010
Jeff Greenlaw40112
Doug Barrault20000
Len Barrie20000
Jeff Daniels70000

Defensemen

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Gord Murphy8414294371
Brian Benning7362430107
Greg Hawgood33214169
Keith Brown51481260
Brent Severyn674711156
Alexander Godynyuk260101035
Joe Cirella63191099
Geoff Smith5615638
Peter Andersson81120
Paul Laus39202109
Stephane Richer20110
Greg Smyth1210137
Dallas Eakins10000

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SV% = Save percentage ; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts

Player GP W L T SV% GAA SO
John Vanbiesbrouck57212511.9242.531
Mark Fitzpatrick281286.9142.731
Pokey Reddick2010.8226.000

Awards and records

Transactions

Trades

Trades listed are from June 1, 1993 to June 1, 1994.

DateDetails
June 25, 1993 To Tampa Bay Lightning
Panthers agree to select Daren Puppa in 1993 NHL Expansion Draft		 To Florida Panthers
1993 PIT 3rd-round Pick (#78 overall)
June 26, 1993 To Winnipeg Jets
1993 2rd-round Pick (#31 overall)		 To Florida Panthers
1993 2nd-round Pick (#41 overall)
1993 3rd-round Pick (#67 overall)
July 30, 1993 To Toronto Maple Leafs
Cash		 To Florida Panthers
Dave Tomlinson
August 3, 1993 To Winnipeg Jets
Dave Tomlinson		 To Florida Panthers
Jason Cirone
September 30, 1993 To Winnipeg Jets
1994 4th-round Pick (#79 overall)		 To Florida Panthers
Evgeny Davydov
1994 Conditional 4th-round Pick
September 30, 1993 To Chicago Blackhawks
Darin Kimble		 To Florida Panthers
Keith Brown
October 3, 1993 To Winnipeg Jets
Milan Tichy		 To Florida Panthers
Brent Severyn
November 5, 1993 To Toronto Maple Leafs
Cash		 To Florida Panthers
Mike Foligno
November 25, 1993 To Winnipeg Jets
Randy Gilhen
1994 4th-round Pick		 To Florida Panthers
Stu Barnes
1994 STL 6th-round Pick (#146 overall)
November 28, 1993 To Philadelphia Flyers
Cash		 To Florida Panthers
Greg Hawgood
December 6, 1993 To Edmonton Oilers
1994 3rd-round Pick (#53 overall)
1994 STL 6th-round Pick (#146 overall)		 To Florida Panthers
Geoff Smith
1994 4th-round Pick (#84 overall)
December 7, 1993 To Toronto Maple Leafs
Greg Smyth		 To Florida Panthers
Future Considerations (Cash)
December 16, 1993 To Hartford Whalers
Alexander Godynyuk		 To Florida Panthers
Jim McKenzie
December 16, 1993 To Dallas Stars
Jim McKenzie		 To Florida Panthers
1995 4th-round Pick (#89 overall)
January 6, 1994 To Ottawa Senators
Scott Levins
Evgeny Davydov
1994 6th-round Pick (#131 overall)
1995 DAL 4th-round Pick (#89 overall)		 To Florida Panthers
Bob Kudelski
March 19, 1994 To Pittsburgh Penguins
Greg Hawgood		 To Florida Panthers
Jeff Daniels
March 21, 1994 To Ottawa Senators
1994 9th-round Pick (#209 overall)		 To Florida Panthers
Peter Andersson

Draft picks

Expansion Draft

# Player Position Drafted from
1John VanbiesbrouckGVancouver Canucks
4Mark FitzpatrickGQuebec Nordiques
5Daren Puppa 1GToronto Maple Leafs
7Milan TichyDChicago Blackhawks
10Paul LausDPittsburgh Penguins
12Joe CirellaDNew York Rangers
13Alexander GodynyukDCalgary Flames
15Gord MurphyDDallas Stars
18Steve BancroftDWinnipeg Jets
20Stephane RicherDBoston Bruins
21Gord HynesDPhiladelphia Flyers
24Tom FitzgeraldC/RWNew York Islanders
25Jesse BelangerCMontreal Canadiens
27Scott LevinsCWinnipeg Jets
30Scott MellanbyRWEdmonton Oilers
32Brian SkrudlandCCalgary Flames
33Mike HoughLWWashington Capitals
35Dave LowryLWSt. Louis Blues
38Bill LindsayLWQuebec Nordiques
40Andrei LomakinRWPhiladelphia Flyers
41Randy GilhenCTampa Bay Lightning
43Doug BarraultLWDallas Stars
46Marc LabelleLWOttawa Senators
48Pete StauberLWDetroit Red Wings
Notes
  1. Lost in Expansion Draft phase two to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

NHL Draft

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/junior/club team
15Rob NiedermayerC CanadaMedicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
2141Kevin WeekesG CanadaOwen Sound Platers (OHL)
357Chris ArmstrongD CanadaMoose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
3167Mikael TjalldenD SwedenMODO (Elitserien)
3278Steve WashburnC CanadaOttawa 67's (OHL)
483Bill McCauleyC United StatesDetroit Junior Red Wings (OHL)
5109Todd MacDonaldG CanadaTacoma Rockets (WHL)
6135Alain NasreddineD CanadaDrummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
7161Trevor DoyleD CanadaKingston Frontenacs (OHL)
8187Briane ThompsonD CanadaSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
9213Chad CabanaLW CanadaTri-City Americans (WHL)
10239John DemarcoD United StatesArchbishop Williams High School (USHS-MA)
11265Eric MontreuilC CanadaChicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
S4Chris ImesD United StatesUniversity of Maine (Hockey East)
Notes
  1. The Panthers acquired these picks as the result of a trade on June 26, 1993 that sent a second-round pick in 1993 (31st overall) to Winnipeg in exchange for these picks.
  2. The Panthers acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 25, 1993 that agreed that Florida selected Darren Puppa in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick.
    Tampa Bay previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 22, 1993 that sent Peter Taglianetti to Pittsburgh in exchange for this pick.
  • The Panthers second-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 26, 1993 that sent a second and third-round pick both in 1993 (41st and 67th overall) to Florida in exchange for this pick (31st overall).

Notes

  1. ↑ The first tiebreaker was total wins. While the Panthers finished with 83 points, and the New York Islanders 84, the Islanders won 36 games compared to the Panthers' 33.

References

  1. ↑ Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
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