Oleg Kvasha

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kvasha's time with the Florida Panthers was brief but marked by a solid rookie campaign. Drafted 65th overall in 1996, he stepped into the NHL for the 1998–99 season and played 68 games, scoring 12 goals and adding 13 assists for 25 points. That rookie production showed promise as a young forward. However, after his second season with the Panthers, the organization made a major move on June 24, 2000, sending Kvasha and winger Mark Parrish to the New York Islanders in exchange for goaltender Roberto Luongo and center Olli Jokinen. That trade ended Kvasha's tenure in Florida after just two NHL seasons, but it remains a notable piece of Panthers history as a blockbuster deal that reshaped the franchise.

In Their Own Story

On June 24, 2000, the Florida Panthers made a franchise-altering trade. Oleg Kvasha, along with winger Mark Parrish, was dealt to the New York Islanders for goaltender Roberto Luongo and center Olli Jokinen. Kvasha had just completed his second NHL season with the Panthers, having been a third-round pick in 1996 and a rookie who played 68 games in 1998–99 with 12 goals and 25 points. The trade sent him out of Florida, but it marked the end of his short chapter with the team that drafted him.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking Oleg Kvasha's early career, the key numbers come directly from his time with the Panthers. He was selected in the third round, 65th overall, in the 1996 NHL entry draft. He made his NHL debut in the 1998–99 season, appearing in 68 games as a rookie and recording 12 goals and 25 points. After his second season, on June 24, 2000, he was traded to the New York Islanders. Those are the exact facts from his Florida Panthers tenure — no more, no less.

Did You Know?

• Kvasha was chosen in the third round, 65th overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 1996 NHL entry draft.
• He made his NHL debut with the Panthers in the 1998–99 season, appearing in 68 games as a rookie for 12 goals and 25 points.
• On June 24, 2000, Kvasha was traded by Florida to the New York Islanders with winger Mark Parrish for goaltender Roberto Luongo and center Olli Jokinen.
• As a youth, Kvasha played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Moscow.
• Kvasha won a bronze medal representing Russia at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.