Scott Mellanby Tenure

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Lore & Background

On the night of the Panthers' 1995–96 home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Scott Mellanby reacted by 'one-timing' the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck quipped was 'a rat trick.' Two nights later, as the story found its way into the world, a few fans threw rubber rats on the ice in celebration of a goal. The rubber rat count went from 16 for the third home game to over 2,000 during the playoffs.

In Their Own Story

The Florida Panthers' first major stars included forward Scott Mellanby, who scored 30 goals in the team's inaugural 1993–94 season. That first-year squad finished just two points below .500 and narrowly missed the playoffs, with Mellanby providing key scoring. His most famous moment came in the 1995–96 season, when he killed a rat in the locker room and then scored two goals, creating the 'rat trick' tradition that saw thousands of rubber rats thrown onto the ice during the playoffs. Mellanby was part of the 1996 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in four games.

Reader's Guide

Scott Mellanby played for the Florida Panthers from their inaugural 1993–94 season through at least the 1996 playoffs. He scored 30 goals in the first season, helping the expansion team set a record for most points by an expansion team in its inaugural season (later surpassed by the Vegas Golden Knights). In 1995–96, he was a key forward on the team that made a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final. His locker-room rat-killing incident spawned the 'rat trick' celebration, where fans threw rubber rats onto the ice after Panthers goals. The source does not cover any role beyond his playing career.

Did You Know?

• Scott Mellanby scored 30 goals in the Panthers' inaugural 1993–94 season.
• He killed a rat in the locker room on the night of the 1995–96 home opener, leading to the 'rat trick' tradition.
• Goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck coined the term 'rat trick' after Mellanby scored two goals following the rat-killing incident.
• Rubber rat throwing escalated from 16 rats at the third home game to over 2,000 during the 1996 playoffs.
• Mellanby was part of the 1996 Panthers team that reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in four games.