The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the southernmost team in the NHL. The Panthers have been one of the least successful teams in League history, holding the eighth-worst record in NHL history among active teams when measured in points percentage , and having made the playoffs only 3 times in their 17 seasons, which translates to 17.6%, third worst among active teams. They made one trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in four games. read more