Just when the Florida Panthers had a bona-fide fad on their hands, the threat of NHL action is forcing the team to put a stop to the practice of throwing plastic rats on the ice at BankAtlantic Center.
The Panthers will no longer sell plastic rats at the arena, having removed them from all BankAtlantic Center souvenir shops on Monday. The move came after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman personally contacted the team following the Panthers' Game 5 victory on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.
The Panthers had been selling the rats since December, and sales had boomed as the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2000. The Miami Herald reported Monday the team sold between 1,000 and 1,500 rats in the last week alone.
Panthers fans had been throwing rats onto the ice as they did during the team's 1996 Stanley Cup Finals run, but instead of doing so after Florida goals, the fans waited until after a home victory to coat the ice in rats.
The change complied with an NHL rule instituted after 1996 that threatened to penalize home teams if debris-throwing caused extended game delays. Panthers fans had largely obeyed that rule this year, but on Saturday a few dozen rats were thrown onto the ice after a late goal put Florida ahead 3-0.
Despite speculation that it was actually visiting Devils fans responsible for the rat-tossing, the Panthers decided to stop supplying their fans with ammo after Bettman urged them to put an end to the practice.
"Hopefully, the rat craze will continue, because it’s an opportunity for our fans to show their passion and energy, and the rat has become the rallying cry for our franchise," Panthers president Michael Yormark told the Herald.
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"I love the rat tradition. It's what makes Florida fans unique. But we have to be proactive and make sure the safety of the players remains our priority. One way to do that is limit the number of rats in the building."
The Panthers have also begun ejecting fans who throw rats during game play, and ask their fans to turn in anyone who does so to arena officials.
"We'd love to keep our rat victory celebrations going, but even that is in jeopardy if people can't be responsible and follow policies," Yormark said.
But containing fans is easier said than done. The Panthers will be in New Jersey for Game 6 on Tuesday night, but when they return (either for a Game 7 on Thursday or the next round of the playoffs), it will be interesting to see whether the crackdown actually works.
