SUNRISE — In 1996, the Florida Panthers introduced South Florida to the “rat trick” during their first Stanley Cup Final run. In 2023, Florida showed off a new generation of stars like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe before losing to Vegas in the Final. Related Articles Florida Panthers | Dave Hyde: Panthers are the new kings of hockey after Game 7 magic Florida Panthers | Order now: Panthers commemorative book Florida Panthers | Panthers fans — and one dog with a front-row seat — rejoice for team’s first Stanley Cup But 2024 is when the Panthers reached the summit of the hockey world, lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. They needed to get past rival Tampa Bay, which held its three Stanley Cup titles over their little brothers’ heads for years.