Why the Florida Panthers shoot plastic rats at Brad Marchand

Sunrise, Fla. – Every time the Florida panthers Win, Brad Marchand Knows What’s coming Next: His Teammates Fire plastic rats At Him with their sticks as they left in one of the NHL’s oddest postgame celebrations.

“Yeah, they should shooting to Hurt Now,” Marchand says on Saturday, ahead of game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals Against The Carolina hurricanes. “Matthew Tkachuk CAUGHT ME With One Last Game That I ACTUALLY RELLY FELT THERE. “

Panthers fans have Thrown toy rats On the Ice in Celebration Since the 1995-96 Season, when forward scott mellanby exterminate a rodent with his stick-in a moment forever knowledge as “the rat turn”-in the seam that Florida Made a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Final. Rats have become unofficial mascots for the franchise, to the point where their official team not only Sells rodent -adned Merchandise but also the plastic rats.

Marchand has been called a “rat” with frequency during his 16-year-old nhl career, which is hockey parlance for being an agitator on the ice. So the celebration was a natural evolution when the panthers accents Boston Bruins.

With the Ice Littered with plastic rodents at the end of Panthers Wins, Marchand’s Teammates Began Shooting Rats at “The Rat” on their way to dressing room.

How did this tradition begin?

“They see my family on the Ice and want us to be together,” Marchand Deadpanned.

Actually, it was panthers winger Evan rodrigues That first shot a rat at Marchand in celebration.

“Yeah, I don’t know how it started. But I think he was here, so we ended up doing it.

Later, Florida Captain Aleksander Barkov And TKachuk – Who has his own reputation as an agitator – Started slapping rats at Marchand as well.

“It’s just one of those things that happen to,” Marchand Said. “We do not overthink it. We just have fun out there.”

It is not only hapening at home for the panthers. In raleigh for game 2 of the conference finals, some of the Florida fans in Attendance tossed enough rats on the ice after the 5-0 victory That Panthers Players had ammo for Marchand.

That was the first time florida coach paul maurice wit the tradition first, as the coaching staff waited for the players to file out of the rink.

“I will tell you that they shooting them as hard as they can,” maurice sa. “They are not flipping them at him. To get out of that funny as hell. “

Marchand Said It’s A “Small Sampling” of the fun the paners are having toogether, as they attempt to win a second straight stanley cup championship. Center Sam Said that’s just who they are.

“We do not change the way we prepare for games from regular single game to playoff game. Even if Joking Around. Even Before Game 7 [of the Stanley Cup Final]There was just as many chirps and jokes going around before that game as in a presence game, “He said.” So we definitely enjoy it. “

Maurice Said all the fun that is the regular season get a long postseason run.

“There are real fun stories that are just kind of organic.