florida panthers at New Jersey Devils - information

florida panthers at New Jersey Devils - information, hockey fans have been showering the ice with the plastic rodents throughout the NHL playoffs. "It's a great part of our identity and something our fans truly enjoy," Panthers' coach, Kevin Dineen, told the Sun Sentinel.

No defenseman has won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which honors the NHL players for sportsmanship and gentlemanly play, since the 1950s.

Campbell was announced Monday as one of three finalists for the award, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Campbell is considered a strong candidate to become the first defenseman — and only the third ever — since Red Kelly in 1954 to win. Matt Moulson of the Islanders and Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle are the other finalists.

A rain of rats! Florida Panthers hockey fans have been showering the ice with the plastic rodents throughout the NHL playoffs.

"It's a great part of our identity and something our fans truly enjoy," Panthers' coach, Kevin Dineen, told the Sun Sentinel .

Fans were shelling out $5 at the team's store to buy the rats, but they are for sale no more. The NHL asked the Panthers to stop selling the fake vermin --after a few were tossed onto the ice Saturday night.

The winner will be announced June 20 at the NHL awards show held in Las Vegas.
“It’s obviously a great honor. Not many defensemen get it, and I don’t know why,” Campbell said before the Panthers flew to Newark, N.J., for Game 6 of their best-of-7 playoff series against the Devils.

florida panthers at New Jersey Devils - information The hockey tradition started in 1995 when an actual rat -- not the plastic type -- showed up in the locker room. Scott Mellanby, former Panthers' forward, killed the rodent with a hockey stick. That night, the Panthers won and many chalked it up to what they call the "Rat Trick".

Now, South Florida's hockey team is winning again and the rats are back. But the Panthers coach says his team's fans know the rats should only be thrown after the game, not during it. "I think a lot of devils fans buying them and throw them on the ice to try to get us that two-minute penalty," Dineen told the Sun Sentinel.

On social media sites, fans are debating whether it's a tradition worth keeping, or they are playing the blame game and pointing the finger at visiting fans for throwing the rats during Saturday's game.

The man who inspired the tradition even sent a tweet. "Thx for all the tweets about the rats flying again in FLA. Yes it brings a smile to my face. Have to be remembered for something I guess," read Scott Mellanby's tweet .