The Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks joined the league for the 1993-94 season. Florida already had an NHL team in the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Miami had attempted to enter into the WHA with the Miami Screaming Eagles but other than goalie Bernie Parent, they were unable to sign any other players to the team, so it was questionable if Florida could support a second team.

H. Wayne Huizenga, then chairman of Blockbuster Entertainment and part owner of the NFL Miami Dolphins and owner of the MLB Florida Marlins had met with Los Angeles Kings head, Bruce McNall and NHL interim president Gil Stein and they had informed him of the pending Disney team and indicated that they saw a fit for another team in Florida. The new franchise was approved on December 10, 1992, and so the wheels were set in motion to get the team ready for the following season.

Bobby Clarke was selected as the first General Manager, and New York Islanders Bill Torrey named as president. Dennis Patterson was the first Chief Scout and Ron Harris was brought on as Eastern Scout. The team also needed an arena, and since there was no time to build one, they had to get creative. The NBA Miami Heat allowed the Florida team to use their Miami Arena as a temporary home until they could get a facility built.

Huizenga chose the Panthers as the team's name because the Florida Panther was the official state animal.. Roger Neilson was selected as the first coach. He had just been let go from the New York Rangers and had helped orchestrate their best performance in over 50 years when they finished the 1991-92 season with 105 points. He was looking forward to the challenge of building a new franchise. Neilson's view of his club was that it would be in part a copy of clubs he had played for and coached, dating as far back as his junior days in Peterborough, Ontario. The notion that the club would be known for its abilities in the corners, and any other areas that required basic skills, was his, and his coaching staff's goal.

The frame work was now in place, and it was time to add the players. Brian Skrudland was selected and named Captain, then Bill Lindsay, Tom Fitzgerald, Mike Hough, Bill Lowry and Scott Mellanby were recruited through the draft process. In the net, John Vanbeisbrouck and Mark Fitzpatrick were added with former NHL New York Islander Bill Smith serving as goaltending consultant. Now Clarke had to add some young talent to go with the veterans. He managed to pick Rob Neidermayer, brother to New Jersey's Scott Neidermayer, as his fifth pick in the Entry Draft. The Panthers were now prepared to go to training camp.

On October 6, 1993, just 10 months after the franchise was awarded, the Panthers opened their inaugural season against the Chicago Blackhawks in the famed Chicago Stadium. Undaunted by the Chicago fans, the Panthers and Black Hawks fought to a 4-4 tie. During the game Scott Mellanby scored the Panthers first goal, and Brian Skrudland scored the final goal of the game. The Panthers lost their second game to St Louis but won their third game over Tampa 2-0 at the Thunderdome where a record 27, 227 fans came out to see the two Florida team battle it out.

Their home opener saw Pittsburgh hand the Panthers their second loss, but the fans packed the Miami Arena for not only that game, but many games after that, signalling that Huizenga had made the right choice. The fans packed the arena on December 22 with 14,706 fans setting and attendance record for the Miami Arena, who saw the Panthers defeat the powerful New York Rangers 3-2. This sent a message throughout the league that the Panthers were serious and a team to be reckoned with.

The Panthers finished their first season in 5th place out of the playoffs, but they went out in grand style with the Rangers in town for the last game of the season, their local fans saluting them and Vanbeisbrouck stopping Ziggy Palffy on a penalty shot. The Panthers led the league records for win-loss percentage with .494 for a first year team, and in fact that number at the time was the best win-loss percentage in all of pro sports. There was however, one major disappointment and that was the return of Bobby Clarke to the Philadelphia Flyers.

In their second season Byran Murray replaced Clarke and the Panthers picked Ed Jovanovski from the Windsor Spitfires as their first round draft pick. The Panthers finished out of the playoffs and the front office made Neilson the scapegoat and was replaced by Doug MacLean. While the Mighty Ducks had their marketing pizzazz in their movies, the Panthers lacked the capabilities to "hype" their club. Until one day in the dressing room a rat ran across the room and Mellanby shot the poor animal across the room and killed it. Later in the game Mellanby led the Panthers to victory with 2 goals, and from then on, a two goal game by a single player was known as a…Rat Trick. Later, the fans took to throwing rubber rats on the ice after a goal was scored. The Panthers now had an identity.

By the end of their third season they were in the playoffs. The Panthers were not expected to survive the first round, but as often happens in sports, someone forgot to tell the Panthers that, and they disposed of the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers setting up round three with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The mighty Mario and Jagr could not stop the Panthers and soon the Panthers were facing the Colorado Avalanche for the Stanley Cup. Although the Panthers were swept by the Avalanche, the team had managed to reach the finals in just their third year and had gained the support of their fans, and the respect of the league.

The Panthers needed a new arena and for the 1998-99 season their new home would be in Sunrise Florida, not far from Fort Lauderdale. In the meantime they managed to make the playoffs again for the 1996-97 season but were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the Conference Quarterfinals. The Panthers did not make the playoffs again until the 1999-2000 season where they were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the New Jersey Devils.

On January 17, 1999 the Panthers acquired superstar Pavel Bure from the Vancouver Canucks. Bure led the team in scoring with 92 points in his first full season with the Panthers and looks to be the franchise player that they need. Only time will tell if Bryan Murray has made the right choice.