Top 5 Captains In Florida Panthers History

By Shaun Lavery

Top 5 Captains In Florida Panthers History

Florida Panthers — Since their inception in 1993, the Florida Panthers have not found much success in regards to winning; they made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996, and have only qualified for the postseason on three other occasions, being eliminated in the first round each time. However, this has not stopped some great players from making a stop in Florida, and some, naturally, were named captains. Here are the five best captains in Panthers history.

5. Brian Skrudland (1993-97)

Brian Skrudland

5. Brian Skrudland (1993-97)

Brian Skrudland — The first captain in Panthers history, Brian Skrudland, played 881 games in his career, totaling 343 points. He was the team’s captain when they made it all the way to the Cup Final in 1996, and served as captain for four seasons. Skrudland brought nine seasons of NHL experience to Florida, and was Rob Niedermayer’s first NHL captain.

4. Ed Jovanovski (2013-14)

Ed-Jovanovski-Florida-Panthers

4. Ed Jovanovski (2013-14)

Ed-Jovanovski-Florida-Panthers — Ed Jovanovski was captain of the Panthers for only one season, but played with Florida for seven seasons over two separate stints with the team. His rookie year was the season in which the team made it to the Stanley Cup Final, and in 1,128 career games, he had 500 points. He played a big role in helping the club make its first playoff appearance in 10 seasons during the 2011-12 campaign.

3. Olli Jokinen (2003-08)

Olli Jokinen Florida Panthers

3. Olli Jokinen (2003-08)

Olli Jokinen Florida Panthers — Now with the Nashville Predators, Olli Jokinen spent seven seasons in Florida, serving as captain for four years. He is the franchise leader in both goals scored, and total points. He never lead the team to a playoff appearance, but he is one of the most skilled players to ever play for the organization.

2. Scott Mellanby (1997-2001)

Scott Mellanby Florida Panthers

2. Scott Mellanby (1997-2001)

Scott Mellanby Florida Panthers — Scott Mellanby was a fan favorite during his time in Florida, and served as captain for four of his eight seasons as a Panther. He scored the first goal in franchise history, and spawned the “rat-trick” craze (in which fans would litter the ice with plastic rats after every Panthers goal) after killing a rat in the locker room with his stick, then scoring two goals. In 1,431 career games Mellanby collected 840 points.

1. Pavel Bure (Co-Captain With Paul Laus During 2001-02 Season)

Pavel Bure Florida Panthers

1. Pavel Bure (Co-Captain With Paul Laus During 2001-02 Season)

Pavel Bure Florida Panthers — Perhaps the most skilled player to ever wear a Panther jersey, Pavel Bure played four seasons with Florida, and had a big impact on the team. Bure won back-to-back Rocket Richard Trophies (1999-2000, 2000-01) as the league’s leading goal scorer with the Panthers, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. His career was cut short due to injury, but in 702 career games, he had 779 points.

Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.

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