Fans watching the Stanley Cup Final may start seeing double when watching the mascots at Amerant Bank Arena.
As the 2024 Stanley Cup Final comes to South Florida, the Panthers are hosting their second championship series contest since 1996. The club has only made three Stanley Cup Finals in the team's history and is still looking for its first title.
Viewers both in and outside the arena may notice not just one, but two anamorphic creatures around Florida's home rink sporting Panthers apparel.
That's no mistake. That's the two mascots of the team, Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Rat.
MORE: Where do the Panthers play? Arena, location & more for South Florida team
But why do the Panthers have two mascots? The Sporting News explains the history behind both.
What is the Panthers' mascot?
The Panthers have two mascots: Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Rat.
Stanley C. Panther
Stanley C. Panther is a large panther and the team's official mascot.
He has been around for over 25 years now, first brought to the team in 1995. He was named by Darrel Ambrosini, a then-five-year-old fan of the team who creatively came up with the mascot's moniker.
Nothing better than a mascot crashing the set, especially when it's Stanley C. Panther with the Mascot Showdown trophy! 🏆😂@FlaPanthers | #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/fpGPhbUDxL
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 4, 2023
Celebrating the 1st goal with Stanley C Panther! #TimeToHunt #StanleyCupFinal pic.twitter.com/LxC8PHOUpb
— x-CHONG ❤️FLA🏒 (@KinderChong) June 4, 2023
The name is a tribute to the NHL's championship trophy — the Stanley Cup.
Viktor E. Rat
Viktor E. Rat is the second mascot for the Panthers. Like his name, he is a rat.
The idea came about in 2007 to add a second mascot for the Florida club. After years of debate, in 2014, Viktor E. Rat made his debut.
Me and Viktor E. Rat always turning up… pic.twitter.com/JXVbkx64Ca
— I Am Dj Genesis (@IAmDJGenesis) February 25, 2023
The reason for a second mascot was to honor the 1996 Panthers club that made the Stanley Cup Final. During that playoff run, fans made it a tradition to launch plastic rats onto the ice to celebrate goals.
Not only did it create a long-standing tradition that still lasts to this day, but it was the idea behind Viktor E. Rat, who is seen frequently with Stanley C. Panther at numerous games and events.
MORE: Why do Panthers fans throw rats on the ice?
If he looks familiar, it may be because he was in the news this past season. During a February game against the Lightning, Viktor E. Rat got into a scuffle with a Tampa Bay fan.
Been seeing a video of “Viktor E. Rat” being pushed around by what looks like a Tampa Bay fan.
— David R (@David954FLA) February 7, 2023
In this video, it seems as if “Viktor” throws his jersey into the crowd which results in some sort of retaliation from the fan.
I have no idea if this is staged. #ViktorERatGate pic.twitter.com/9ckN0Z7Knf
How many NHL teams have two mascots?
The Panthers are one of just two teams in the NHL to carry a secondary mascot with them.
In addition to Florida, Winnipeg has two mascots: Mick E. Moose and Benny. Mick E. Moose is the main mascot of the Jets and has been around since the franchise returned to Winnipeg in 2011, after being relocated from Atlanta.
Benny was the Jets' original mascot from 1986 to 1996. He was named both in honor of Ben Hatskin, the first owner of the Jets, as well as for Elton John's hit song, "Bennie and the Jets."
