One of the NHL’s strangest and most beloved rituals traces back to a live rat, a quick stick swing and a Florida Panthers win in their 1995 home opener.
It all started on Oct. 8, 1995, at Miami Arena, where the Panthers hosted the Calgary Flames. A few hours earlier, Dan Marino had broken Fran Tarkenton’s NFL career completions record at Joe Robbie Stadium, and South Florida sports fans who made it to both events probably had a pretty memorable Sunday.
Just before puck drop, a rat showed up in the dressing room and sent most of the Panthers scrambling. Scott Mellanby wasn’t among them. While teammates jumped onto chairs or backed away, Mellanby took his stick and one-timed the rodent into a wall, killing it instantly.
Then he went out and backed it up on the ice.
Using the same stick, Mellanby scored two goals and helped Florida beat Calgary 4-3. Afterward, goalie John Vanbiesbrouck gave the night its famous label, calling Mellanby’s performance a “Rat Trick.”
That offhand line turned into a franchise signature. Panthers fans latched on immediately and began tossing plastic rats onto the ice after goals.
The timing was perfect for a team still early in its existence. Florida was in only its third season, but it was headed toward its first playoff berth and then a stunning run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
As the postseason ride grew, so did the rat tosses, until the scene became a mess for arena crews. The Panthers had to put workers on the ice after goals to clear the rats as fast as possible.
The delays got so long that the NHL eventually stepped in, warning home teams about delay of game penalties if fan tosses repeatedly held things up. From there, the tradition shifted from after every goal to after every win.
That’s still the rule of the road in Florida. Fans throw rats after home wins, and a few even show up on the ice for some road victories, too.
The fun has even spilled over to the players in recent seasons. During Florida’s last run to the Stanley Cup in 2025, former Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues started firing rats at Brad Marchand as the team came off the ice after a win. Marchand, who was new to the Panthers at the time, took the rats home for his kids.
So yes, this is the sport’s strangest victory ritual. But it’s also one of its most durable, born from a bizarre locker room moment and still going strong three decades later.
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