The Florida Panthers are an American professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was founded in 1993 as an expansion team. They play home games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida; the Panthers are the southernmost team in the NHL.
History
The team has made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, in 1996; they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in four games. The team advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second time in 12 years in 2012, but were eliminated in seven games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals by the New Jersey Devils, who eventually won the Eastern Conference championship that season.