The Florida Panthers joined the NHL in 1993, and early in their existence, it looked like they would have long term success. Unfortunately, the new decade rolled around and they haven't seen the Playoffs since. In their history, they have had six captains, and like their overall history, the captain history reflects the team's successes and failures. From the beginning until 1997, the team captain was Brian Skrudland, who wasn't particularly talented, but his leadership was perfect for a team just breaking into the league. He was succeeded Scott Mellanby, who along with John Vanbiesbrouck, is the face of the Panthers' successes. He is most notable for beginning the "Year of the Rat" in the 1995-96 season that saw them reach the Stanley Cup finals. His trade to St. Louis at the 2000-01 trade deadline coincided with the team's downfall. The 2001-02 season had co-captains in Paul Laus and Pavel Bure. The following season, the team went without a captain. 2003 was the beginning of the Olli Jokinen captaincy, and his time as captain was as notable for the offensive numbers as it was the effort that Jokinen put forth on a daily basis, which is to say no one really knew which Jokinen would show up. He was traded in the offseason to Phoenix in 2008, ending his run as captain. The 2008-09 season saw the Panthers go without a captain again. Currently, the C is held by Bryan McCabe, who was named to the role in 2009.
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