Blockbuster Video magnate Wayne Huizenga was awarded an NHL franchise for Miami on December 10, 1992,[6] the same day the Walt Disney Company earned the rights to start a team in Anaheim that would become the Mighty Ducks.

[17] The Panthers' first major stars were former New York Rangers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, rookie Rob Niedermayer and forward Scott Mellanby, who scored 30 goals in Florida's inaugural season.

[18] Their first game was a 4–4 tie on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks, while their first win was a 2–0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Thunderdome before a then-NHL record crowd of 27,227.

The Panthers had one of the most successful first seasons of any expansion team in league history, finishing just two points below .500 and narrowly missing out on the final 1994 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

[18] In August 1994, general manager Clarke left to work for the Philadelphia Flyers; Bryan Murray was brought in from the Detroit Red Wings as his replacement.

[21] After another close brush with the playoffs, finishing the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season again in ninth,[22] Neilson was fired following an argument with Murray regarding Ed Jovanovski, whom the Panthers chose as the number one overall pick at the 1994 NHL entry draft.

[24] The team then acquired Ray Sheppard from the San Jose Sharks at the NHL trade deadline and looked toward the playoffs for the first time.

This season also marked the end of goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck's time in Florida; in the midst of that streak, he was shelled by the Chicago Blackhawks and never played another game for the Panthers.

The West overcame a four-goal outburst by Thrashers winger Dany Heatley, who took home MVP honors in his first All-Star appearance.

On June 23, 2006, the Panthers were again involved in a blockbuster trade with Vancouver, sending Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov) in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld and Bryan Allen.

In June 2008, the Panthers traded their captain Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick and defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton.

Tallon rebuilt the team with 2010 draft picks Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad and Quinton Howden, as well as the acquisition of players, including Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner, Marty Reasoner, Ryan Carter and Sergei Samsonov.

After several more trades and over 300-man-games lost to injury throughout the season, the Panthers were able to finish first in the Southeast Division, marking the end of their record-setting decade-long postseason drought.

However, the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils, losing at home in double overtime of game 7.

Unable to regain their form from last season, the Panthers suffered key injuries and fell back down into the basement with the worst record in the League.

The Panthers would relieve Horachek of his duties at the end of the season, replacing him with former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Gerard Gallant.

On December 8, 2015, the Panthers announced that they signed a 13-year lease, and an $86 million funding agreement with Broward County and would have a new logo and uniforms after the 2015–16 season.

[38] In the 2017 NHL expansion draft, the Panthers left Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith unprotected, despite the fact they both had 30-goal seasons on their resumes.

The Panthers instead chose to protect Nick Bjugstad, Mark Pysyk, and Alex Petrovic who all were eventually traded or no longer on the team within the next two years.

[43] Tallon made a splash on the first day of free agency to replace the retired Luongo and signed two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal.

[citation needed] On August 10, 2020, after nine years as general manager, the Panthers and Tallon mutually agreed to part ways, following the team's elimination in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the 2021–22 season, Quenneville led the Panthers to a 7–0–0 record through the team's first seven games, but he would resign from his coaching duties as a result of the fallout from the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal on October 28, 2021.

[49] Three weeks later, on April 21, 2022, following a 5–2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, the Panthers crowned themselves as Atlantic Division champions for the first time since the 2015–16 season.

With the win, the Panthers improved to a stellar 56–15–6 record, tallying 118 points, and overcoming the Colorado Avalanche in the quest for the Presidents' Trophy.

On May 13, the Panthers advanced past the first round for the first time in 26 years, dating back to the 1996 conference finals, by beating the Washington Capitals in six games, eliminating them with a 4–3 overtime victory.

[54] After being swept in the second round by the Lightning, general manager Bill Zito decided to move on from interim head coach Andrew Brunette.

[64] For the 2023–24 season, the Panthers were expected to regress in results, as it was believed their aggressive forechecking and stout defense would be figured out by rival teams.

They went 52–24–6 for 110 points, star center Sam Reinhart netted 57 goals (behind Auston Matthews for the league lead), and overtook the Boston Bruins in the last regular season game for the Atlantic Division crown, their third in franchise history.

The red road and white home uniforms featured the leaping panther crest in front and the alternate palm tree logo on the shoulders.

[74] Viktor E. Ratt was introduced in October 2014 after much debate and honors the club's 1996 Stanley Cup Finals run where rats were tossed on ice.