Florida Panthers: Top 50 All-Time Best Skaters

The Florida Panthers started out in 1993 in a land nobody had ever considered fertile ground for a hockey club, let alone an NHL franchise.

Florida shot out of the gates and made the Stanley Cup Finals in only its third season.  Colorado ended the dream with a 4-0 series victory. 

Since the Panthers made the Finals that year, there has been little to cheer in south Florida.  The Panthers are currently mired in a playoff slump.  They have not been to the postseason since the 1999-2000 season, an NHL-record 10 consecutive fruitless seasons.

It would seem premature to title a list, "50 Greatest Panthers of All-Time," as I am sure the Panthers cannot be bad forever.  You may think, "Give it another 10 years, then make a list."  Yet here we sit, and this is our team, and even though only 244 non-goalies have skated for the Panthers, there are 50 who stand above the rest.

This list is based on the "Points Share" statistic provided by the folks at www.hockey-reference.com.

Counting down from No. 50:

Jason Garrison made his first appearance in the NHL with the Panthers on Oct. 25, 2008.  He played one game that year.

Since then, Garrison has seen his role with the club increase, with a rise in both games played and minutes per game on ice. 

The defenseman is still active on Florida's roster, and looks to significantly contribute to the Panthers future playoff push.

In 113 games, Garrison has seven goals, 19 assists, 26 points, a plus/minus of plus-three and 49 penalty minutes.

Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk enjoyed a long and productive career before joining the Panthers at the age of 39, following the 2004-05 lockout. 

With the Panthers, Nieuwendyk showed he still had some plays to make, playing center with assorted linemates, including longtime teammate, Gary Roberts. 

Nieuwendyk would play parts of two seasons with Florida, retiring after the 2006-07 season due to chronic back injuries.

His Panther totals in limited games is impressive: 80 games played, 31 goals, 33 assists, 64 points, a plus/minus of minus-six and 50 penalty minutes.

Brian Benning skated for the Blues, Kings, Flyers and the Oilers before joining the original Florida Panthers hockey club prior to the 1993-94 season. 

Benning was a solid blueliner with a penchant for getting penalty minutes.  In the inaugural season, Benning was the club's second-most proficient scoring defenseman, behind only Gord Murphy.

Benning retired after an injury-riddled, strike-shortened 1994-95 season.

His career Florida Panthers statistics: 97 games played, seven goals, 31 assists, 38 points, plus-13, and 125 penalty minutes.

An original Florida Panther, Tom Fitzgerald provided leadership for the Panthers from the very beginning.

Fitzgerald netted the decisive goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the drive to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.

As a defensive-minded forward, Fitzgerald still managed to put up good numbers for Florida.  In 353 games, he scored 54 goals, 67 assists, 121 points, was a minus-six and had 281 penalty minutes.

He is currently the assistant to the GM in Pittsburgh.

Geoff Smith was drafted by the Oilers in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft and helped win the Stanley Cup as a rookie with the Edmonton organization.  He played just over four seasons with the Oilers before being traded to the Panthers partway into the 1993-94 season.

For Florida, Smith added a strong blue line presence and solid defense.  His Florida career stats: 137 games played, six goals, 16 assists, 22 points, minus-11 and 82 penalty minutes.

He is currently working as an assistant coach with the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Blazers.

Ville Peltonen played with the Sharks and the Predators before playing for several seasons in a Swiss league.  He returned to the NHL prior to the 2006-07 season and signed with Florida at the age of 33.

Peltonen had his most productive NHL offensive seasons with the Cats, playing in a total of 207 games and scoring 34 goals, 54 assists, 88 points, a plus-11 and 79 penalty minutes.

Peltonen was chosen as Finland's flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Steve Montador played with the Calgary Flames for just over three seasons before joining the Panthers during the 2005-06 season. 

Montador was a prototypical stay-at-home defensive defenseman, as evidenced by his impressive career plus/minus rating of plus-27. 

Montador is currently playing with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Florida Panther career stats: 196 games, 10 goals, 28 assists, 38 points, plus-6 and 260 penalty minutes. 

The Panthers acquired Dave Lowry through the expansion draft from the St. Louis Blues.

A left winger throughout his career, Lowry was never much of a scoring threat. He enjoyed the best years of his career with the Florida Panthers, earning the name, "Mr. Playoff," scoring 10 goals during the Panther's playoff run of 1996.

Lowry retired after the 2003-04 season with Calgary before going into coaching.

His career Panther stats: 272 games, 50 goals, 60 assists, 110 points, minus-eight, 178 penalty minutes.

Jody Hull played left winger for the Whalers, Rangers and the Senators before signing with the Panthers as a free agent before they ever took their first faceoff. 

With the Panthers, Hull was an occasional scorer, finishing with the fourth most goals on the team during the 1995-96 season, with 20.  Hull also seldom took penalties.

Hull retired after the 2003-04 season with Ottawa.

His Florida Panthers stats: 281 games, 56 goals, 44 assists, 100 points, plus-12, 49 penalty minutes.

Ruslan Salei played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for 10 seasons before joining the Panthers as a free agent prior to the 2006-07 season.

Salei was a workhorse for the Panthers, averaging over 23 minutes per game while with the club, second only to fellow defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

Salei laced them up for the Detroit Red Wings last season before heading to Russia to play in the KHL for the upcoming 2011-12 season.

In 147 games for Florida, Salei scored nine goals and 46 assists for 55 points, accrued a plus/minus rating of minus-18 and had 177 penalty minutes.

Kulikov turned 19 just as his first season with the Panthers got underway and is still not quite old enough to drink (as of this article).

Despite his age, Kulikov shows high levels of skill and confidence. He owns tremendous offensive instincts for a defenseman and boasts plenty of projection in his frame and all-around upside.

His stats so far with the Panthers: 140 games played, nine goals, 33 assists, 42 points, minus-10 and 77 penalty minutes.

Juraj Kolnik played two seasons with the Islanders before being traded to the Panthers for a ninth-round draft pick. 

He played 204 games with the Panthers, scoring 40 goals and 46 assists for 86 points with a minus-three rating and 72 penalty minutes.

Kolnik is currently a free agent.

Jason Woolley played parts of three seasons with the Washington Capitals before signing with the Panthers as a free agent in 1995.  Even though he was with the Panthers for less than two calendar years, he played parts of three seasons with them.

Woolley played 89 games at defenseman for the Panthers, scoring 10 goals and 37 assists for 47 points, a minus-nine rating and 52 penalty minutes.

After leaving Florida, Woolley became a mainstay in Buffalo and also logged time with Pittsburgh and Detroit.

He is currently a player agent in Michigan.

Martin Gelinas debuted in the NHL in the 1988-89 season with the Edmonton Oilers as an 18-year-old rookie.  He spent 16 seasons with the Oilers, Nordiques, Canucks, Hurricanes and Flames before joining the Panthers as a free agent prior to the 2005-06 season.

For Florida, the left winger was a model of consistency, playing in all 164 games over two seasons.  In 2005-06, Gelinas led the Panthers with a ridiculous plus/minus of plus-27.

After leaving Florida, Gelinas signed on with the Nashville Predators and is currently their director of player development.

His career Panther numbers: 164 games played, 31 goals, 54 assists, 85 points, plus-34, 116 penalty minutes.

Johan Garpenlov started his career as a left winger in Detroit and San Jose.  The Sharks traded him to the Panthers near the end of the 1994-95 season for a fifth-round draft choice.

In the 1995-96 season, he led the Panthers with seven game-winning goals and scored 23 goals on 130 shots, leading the Panthers with a 17.7 shooting percentage.

In 265 games with Florida, he scored 47 goals and 74 assists for 121 points and a minus-11 rating while racking up 133 penalty minutes.

He is currently the general manager for the Swedish men's national ice hockey team.

Rhett Warrener made his NHL debut as a defenseman with the Panthers at the age of 18 during the 1995-96 season. 

A defensive defenseman, Warrener compiled an impressive plus-75 career plus/minus rating.

He played with the Panthers until midway through the 1998-99 season, when he was traded to the Sabres.

His Florida stats: 217 games played, five goals, 23 assists, 28 points, plus-7, 297 penalty minutes.

After starting his career with the Montreal Canadiens and also skating for the Calgary Flames, Valeri Bure played parts of three different seasons with the Panthers, broken up by a five-game stint with the St. Louis Blues. 

For the Panthers, he played 132 games and scored 33 goals and assisted on 56 more for a total of 89 points. He had a minus-14 rating and racked up 42 penalty minutes.

After leaving Florida, Bure played 13 games for the Dallas Stars before retiring. He and wife Candace Cameron (of "Full House" fame) have three children together.

Sandis Ozolinsh arrived in Florida via trade with the Carolina Hurricanes in the middle of the 2001-02 season.  He left via trade with the Anaheim Ducks in the middle of the 2002-03 season.  In total, he played just over one season with the Panthers.

His contributions during that time were substantially offensive, for a defenseman.  He played 88 games and scored 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points.  He had a minus-19 rating and 64 penalty minutes. 

Ozolinsh is currently signed with his Latvian home-country team, Dinamo Riga of the KHL .

Mark Parrish, a right winger, started his NHL career with the Panthers at the beginning of the 1998-99 season. 

In his first year with the Cats, Mark was second on the team in goals scored with 24.  His career totals:  154 games played, 50 goals, 31 assists, 81 points, minus-5 and 64 penalty minutes.

Parrish has become somewhat of a journeyman, playing for seven teams in the past six years and is currently with Ottawa.

Jesse Belanger joined the Panthers from the Montreal Canadians via the expansion draft. Belanger contributed immediately, leading Florida with 33 assists in the team's inaugural campaign. He tied for the team lead in points with 29 in his second year (strike-shortened season). 

Belanger was one of the first marketable faces the Panthers could bank on. The center was very good for Florida but had almost no success with other teams.

Belanger played in 180 games for Florida, scoring 49 goals, 68 assists, 117 points, a rating of minus-14 and 44 penalty minutes.

Rostislav Olesz had played his entire career with the Florida Panthers up until the 2011 offseason. Olesz, a left winger, put up solid, if unspectacular, numbers for the Panthers.

Florida stats: 349 games played, 57 goals, 75 assists, 132 points, minus-nine and 112 penalty minutes.

He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brian Campbell.

Marcus Nilson started his NHL career with the Florida Panthers, playing eight games in 1998-99 and nine in 1999-00.

A strong checker who occasionally dumped in a goal or assist, Nilson was given a chance in 2000-01 to play full time. The left winger played three-and-a-half more seasons for the Panthers.

Panthers stats: 327 games, 48 goals, 78 assists, 126 points, minus-20, 193 penalty minutes.

In 2004, Nilson was traded to the Calgary Flames for a second-round pick (which ultimately became David Booth).

Stu Barnes was acquired by the Panthers via trade with the Winnepeg Jets 19 games into the inaugural season. 

Barnes played 191 games at center for the Panthers. He scored 49 goals and assisted on 72 more for 121 points. He had a minus-three and 84 penalty minutes. 

During the Panthers run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1995-96, Barnes recorded six goals and 10 assists in 22 games, including two game-winning goals.

He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins just after the start of the 1996-97 season and is currently an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars.

Bill Lindsay skated for the Quebec Nordiques for two seasons before joining the Panthers via expansion draft before Florida ever took the ice.

Bill was a solid and dependable right winger, missing a total of 17 games through his first six seasons with the Panthers. He was traded to the Flames prior to the 1999-2000 season. 

Florida reacquired Lindsay through free agency for most of the 2001-02 season before waiving him.

In all, Lindsay played 506 games with Florida, tallying 67 goals and 98 assists for 165 points.  He registered a minus-one during career with the Panthers and spent 609 minutes in the penalty box, good for fourth all-time in franchise history.

Josef Stumpel, a center, signed with the Panthers as a free agent after spending his first 13 seasons in the NHL with the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings.

He played 199 games with the Cats, scoring 45 goals, 84 assists and 129 points. He logged 58 penalty minutes and had a plus-two rating on a below-average squad.

He currently plays for Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Corey Stillman joined the Panthers after a long and productive career as a left winger with Calgary, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Ottawa.

Stillman provided veteran leadership and hard-nosed aggression for the Florida Panthers during his two-and-a-half seasons in Sunrise.

He scored 39 goals and 70 assists for 109 points in 165 games for Florida. He added a plus/minus rating of plus-one and racked up 79 penalty minutes.

He finished out the 2010-11 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, and is currently a free agent.

Jaroslav Spacek, a defenseman, was drafted by Florida in the fifth round of the 1998 entry draft. He spent his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Panthers before being traded to Chicago.

Spacek averaged more than 20 minutes on ice per game while with Florida. He played 157 games and scored 15 goals and 39 assists for 54 points.  He registered a rating of plus-18 and added 89 penalty minutes.

He is currently on the Montreal Canadiens.

Ray Sheppard, a right winger, was traded by San Jose to the Panthers near the end of the 1995-96 season. He proved his worth almost immediately, scoring eight goals and eight assists for the Cats during 21 games in the 1995-96 playoffs.

Ray was seldom penalized, only spending 33 minutes in the penalty box in 190 games. He scored 61 goals and 60 assists for 121 points and a rating of minus-13.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Panthers Alumni Association.

Before joining Florida, Michael Frolik played in the Czech Extraliga for Rabat Kladno, earning the nickname "The Baby Jagr" due to similarities in appearance and playing style.

Frolik joined Florida in time to spend the entire 2008-09 season with the Panthers. Frolik rarely missed a game for the Panthers, playing 79 games in his first season and all 82 in his second.

Frolik was a scoring threat on Florida's third line, playing 213 games and scoring 50 goals, 67 assists, 117 points, a plus-eight and 81 penalty minutes.

He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks near the end of the 2010-11 season and recently signed a three-year contract to remain in Chicago.

Bret Hedican, a defenseman, came over from Vancouver via trade in the middle of the 1998-99 season.

Hedican was a workhorse on the ice for Florida, averaging more than 21 minutes per game with the Panthers.  In 202 games, he tallied 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points, a minus-nine rating and 169 penalty minutes.

Florida traded Hedican to the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2001-02 season. He played five-and-a-half seasons for Carolina and one season with the Anaheim Ducks before retiring from the game.

Hedican joined CSN California shortly after retiring and serves as a pregame and postgame analyst for the channel's San Jose Sharks coverage.

Kristian Huselius made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2001, adding scoring pop immediately with more than 20 goals and 20 assists in each of his first two seasons.

A left winger, Huselius played 257 games, scoring 58 goals and tacking on 69 assists for a total of 127 points. He racked up 62 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of minus-27.

He was traded to Calgary midway through the 2005-06 season and is currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Terry Carkner played for the Rangers, Nordiques, Flyers, and Red Wings before joining the Florida Panthers as a free agent in 1995.

He would remain a fixture in the defensive corps for the Panthers until his exit from professional hockey following the 1999 season.

After seeing as much of this list as you have, dear reader, you know how rare it is for a Florida Panther to have a positive plus/minus rating. Carkner logged a rating of plus-12 in 279 career games for Florida.

He also tabbed six goals and 40 assists for 46 points and 293 penalty minutes.

Standing 6'5", Bryan Allen was an imposing presence on the ice.

Allen was a solid, dependable defensive force during his years with the Panthers, averaging more than 20 minutes on ice per game. 

He started his career with the Vancouver Canucks and joined the Panthers in the trade that sent Roberto Luongo to the Western Conference. 

For Florida, Allen tabulated 14 goals and 53 assists for 67 points in 284 matches. He earned a rating of plus-one and added 341 penalty minutes.

He was traded to Carolina for Sergei Samsonov near the end of the 2010-11 season.

Ed Jovanovski, by nature, is a solid two-way defenseman. The Panthers management wanted a stay-at-home defenseman. So, Jovanovski played against type during his time with Florida.

Jovanovski was drafted first overall in the 1994 NHL entry draft. He made his NHL debut with the club during the 1995-96 season. He helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Finals and made the NHL all-rookie team in the process.

Jovanovski racked up 29 goals and 54 assists for 83 points in 253 games for the Panthers, earning a minus-20 rating and 549 penalty minutes.

Jovanovski spent the last 11-and-a-half seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and the Phoenix Coyotes.  He recently re-signed with the Panthers for the 2011-12 season.

Mike Van Ryn started his NHL career in St. Louis during the 2000-01 season, playing in 69 games over three seasons for the Blues. He was then traded to Florida and played four seasons with the club.

Van Ryn was a good defenseman for the Panthers, and in 257 career games with Florida, he scored 25 goals with 80 assists for 105 points, a rating of minus-eight and 220 penalty minutes.

He joined Toronto for the 2008-09 NHL season and played 27 games before eventually announcing his retirement.

His is currently an assistant coach for the Niagra IceDogs.

Rob Niedermayer was drafted fifth overall by the Panthers during the 1993 NHL entry draft and spent no time in the minors, making his debut with the original Panthers.

He scored 61 points during the 1995-96 seasons, good for second on the Panthers, and helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Niedermayer played 518 games with the club, scoring 101 goals and 165 assists for 266 points, a minus-58 rating and 435 penalty minutes.

He has since played with Calgary, Anaheim, New Jersey and Buffalo.

David Booth is a left winger for the Panthers and has spent his entire career with the Florida club.

Booth led the Panthers in goals scored in 2008-09 and again in 2010-11, with 31 and 23 goals, respectively. Booth is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL.

In 303 games, Booth has scored 87 goals and 79 assists for 166 points with a minus-11 rating and 125 penalty minutes.

Bryan McCabe joined Florida prior to the 2008-09 season after stints with the Islanders, Canucks, Blackhawks and Maple Leafs.

With the Cats, McCabe played in 199 games, scoring 28 goals and 76 assists for 104 points with a minus-two rating and 152 penalty minutes.

The defenseman was traded to the Rangers shortly before the end of the 2010-11 season.

Paul Laus was claimed in the expansion draft from the Penguins and spent his entire career in Florida.

Even though he was only 6'1" and 215 pounds, Laus was always up for a fight, taking on the league's toughest fighters and earning his teammate's respect. He became a fan favorite in Florida.

In the 1996-97 season, Laus set a NHL record with 39 fighting majors in 77 games while also setting career highs in assists, points, plus/minus and penalty minutes.

His career numbers in Florida: 530 games, during which he scored 14 goals and 58 assists for 72 points, with a very respectable rating of plus-31. He is the Florida Panthers all-time leader in penalty minutes with 1,702.

Radek Dvořák joined the Panthers as a rookie prior to the 1995-96 season and scored 13 goals and 27 points en route to the NHL playoffs that year. 

Dvořák is the Panther's career leader in games played with 613. He has scored 113 goals and 155 assists for 268 points for Florida. He has a plus/minus rating of plus-eight and 216 penalty minutes. 

Dvořák played for the Panthers until the middle of the 1999-2000 season, when he was traded to the New York Rangers. He rejoined the Panthers prior to the 2007-08 season and played with the Cats until 2011, when he was traded to Carolina.

Ray Whitney, a left winger, played for the San Jose Sharks and the Edmonton Oilers prior to joining the Panthers via waivers near the start of the 1997-98 season. 

Whitney played parts of four seasons with Florida, playing in 273 games and scoring 97 goals and 130 assists for 227 points. He had 109 penalty minutes and a rating of plus-seven.

Whitney was traded to Columbus during the 2000-01 season and has since logged minutes with the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes and Phoenix Coyotes.

Viktor Kozlov joined the Panthers via trade with the Sharks and stayed with the club through 2004. He centered the first line with Pavel Bure during his best seasons, averaging just under 20 minutes per game.

He led the Panthers in assists with 53 in 1999-00, and scored a total of 291 points in 414 games for Florida. He was good for 101 goals, 190 assists, a rating of plus-four and 118 penalty minutes.

After leaving the Panthers, he played with the Devils, Islanders and Capitals before joining Salavat Yulayev Ufa in the Russian KHL for the 2009-10 season.

Gord Murphy, an original Panther, started his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers then moved on to the Boston Bruins before joining Florida via the expansion draft.

He enjoyed six productive seasons with the Cats before finishing his playing career with the Atlanta Thrashers.

For Florida, the defenseman scored 42 goals and 100 assists in 410 career games. He had a plus/minus rating of minus-16 along with 238 penalty minutes.

He was an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets before taking his current position as an assistant coach for the Panthers.

Stephen Weiss is currently the longest-tenured Florida Panther, playing all nine seasons of his NHL career with the Panthers. As such, he has never played in an NHL playoff game.

A scoring spark plug, Weiss is an electrifying skater. At only 28 years of age, he looks to add to his career numbers this season.

He has already played in 557 games, scoring 124 goals and 109 assists for 233 points with a plus/minus rating of minus-nine and 228 penalty minutes.

Pavel Bure is perhaps the best pure scorer the Panthers have yet to employ. Known as the "Russian Rocket," Bure led the league in goals three times, twice while he was with the Panthers. In 1999-00, he scored 58 goals. In 2000-01 he scored 59.

His career stats are 223 games, 152 goals, 99 assists, 251 points, plus-12 and 134 penalty minutes while averaging 25 minutes on the ice per game.

In his lone trip to the playoffs with the Panthers, Bure was shut down by the New Jersey Devils and managed to score only one goal and three assists in four games.

He also played for the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers.

Nathan Horton was drafted third overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Panthers and made his NHL debut with the club soon after. 

Horton, a center, soon made an impact on the Panthers. After a rookie campaign in which he scored 14 goals in 55 games, he scored more than twenty goals in each of his following seasons with the club.

In all, Horton played 422 games with Florida, scoring 142 goals and 153 assists for 295 points, a plus-27 rating and 382 penalty minutes.

Horton was traded to Boston prior to the 2010-11 season and contributed to the Bruins Stanley Cup championship season.

Scott Mellanby played for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers before being selected in the expansion draft by the Panthers. 

Mellanby was a right winger by trade, although he could on occasion be called upon to play on the left side. Mellanby scored the first goal in franchise history on Oct. 9, 1993.

Mellanby once killed a rat with his stick in the locker room, spawning Florida's "rat trick," whereupon fans would bombard the ice with rubber rats after each goal scored by the Panthers. 

Mellanby was a fan favorite during his time with the Cats and spent eight years of his career with the team.

His career numbers are impressive: He played 552 games with the Panthers, scoring 157 goals and 197 assists for 353 career points, good for second all-time in franchise history. He logged a rating of minus-13 and spent 953 minutes in the penalty box, good for third all-time.

Jay Bouwmeester gained fame as a rookie with the Panthers, playing in every game after being selected third overall in the 2002 entry draft.

Bouwmeester is an iron man and his current streak of 506 straight games played is tops in the league.  Not only does he not miss any games, but he frequently is among the league leaders in minutes per game. He averaged 25 minutes per game during his six seasons with the Cats.

He played in 471 games, scoring 53 goals and 150 assists for 203 points, a rating of minus-27 and 329 penalty minutes.

Unable to come to terms with Florida, Bouwmeester joined the Calgary Flames prior to the 2009-10 season.

Olli Jokinen started his career with the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders before joining the Panthers via trade prior to the 2000-01 season.

Jokinen played seven complete seasons with the Panthers, missing a total of seven games. He is their all-time leader in goals with 188, assists with 231 and points with 419. He played 567 games with Florida, amassed a rating of minus-58 and added 597 penalty minutes.

Since leaving the Panthers, Jokinen has played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers. 

Robert Svehla joined the team prior to the 1994-95 season and made his debut with the Panthers that year, playing in five games.

After that, Svehla played seven more seasons with Florida, missing a total of six games. He is by far the highest-scoring and most offensive-minded defenseman. He also played a very physical game and frequently led the league in body checks.

His Florida totals: 573 games played, 61 goals, 229 assists, 290 total points, a minus-18 rating and 603 penalty minutes.

After leaving the Panthers, he played one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, again appearing in every game.