Origin
The 1995–96 season was the third in the NHL for the Panthers, who had been awarded as an expansion franchise in 1992. The team was composed of journeymen veterans and rookies and led by all-star goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. As the team prepared for its home opener against the Calgary Flames on October 8, 1995, a rat entered the dressing room, startling several players. Scott Mellanby reacted by shooting the rat across the locker room with his stick, killing it. He then went out and scored two goals in a 4–3 victory over the Flames, leading the Panthers to their first win of the season. Vanbiesbrouck described the incident to reporters after the game, stating that while Mellanby failed to score a hat trick (three goals in one game), he did manage a "rat trick".
During the next game, a fan threw a plastic rat onto the ice following a Panthers goal. The following game, a few more rats hit the ice. Eventually, over 100 rats were tossed to the ice following Panthers goals, as the Panthers emerged as the top team in the league by mid November. Florida finished the regular season in third place in the Atlantic Division, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time.
Additionally, this Panthers' playoff appearance coincided with the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac. This led fans to believe that the Panthers would have great luck in the playoffs.
Read more about this topic: Rat Trick
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