Revisiting the Florida Panthers’ 1993 Expansion Draft

He was the key starting goalie, especially during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. As the first-overall selection in the expansion draft, he had an immediate and enduring impact on the franchise and became the benchmark for Panthers goalies to come.

Mark Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick, a goalie with the Quebec Nordiques, was the third overall pick in the 1993 Expansion Draft and the second selection by the Panthers. He also played parts of five seasons in South Florida, compiling a 43-42-22 record. He was an effective backup behind Vanbiesbrouck during their Cup Final run.

Daren Puppa

Puppa was selected from the Toronto Maple Leafs and became the third goaltender selected by the Panthers (fifth overall). He never played a game for Florida, as he was re-selected in the second round of the expansion draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning – as part of the most recent batch of expansion teams, they could select one player from the two new expansion teams.

Milan Tichy

Tichy was the first non-goalie selected by the Panthers (from the Chicago Blackhawks); he also never played a game with Florida. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in a one-for-one trade with Brent Severyn before the start of their inaugural season. He played only 23 NHL games in his career, but he still has the honour of being the first skater drafted in the expansion draft.

Paul Laus

Defenseman Paul Laus was the second skater selected by the Panthers. He played 530 games throughout his nine-year career with the team, scoring 14 goals, 58 assists, and 1,702 penalty minutes. He played both defenseman and right wing, bringing versatility to the lineup and as a key physical presence on a team trying to assert its identity. He recorded double-digit points on four occasions in Florida.

Joe Cirella

Defenseman Joe Cirella played 83 games over two seasons with the Panthers, bringing an established veteran presence after playing for multiple organizations over his 11-year career to date. He tallied one goal and 10 assists in Florida.

Alexander Godynyuk

The Panthers selected Alexander Godynyuk from the Calgary Flames 13th overall. He played 26 games during the franchise’s inaugural year, registering 10 assists, before he was moved to the Hartford Whalers.

Gord Murphy

Murphy, selected 15th, was another defenseman with NHL experience. He quickly became a dependable blueliner for the club and played most of his career with the team, appearing in 410 games, scoring 42 goals and 100 assists.

Stephane Richer

Stephane Richer was a 27-year-old defenseman selected 20th from the Boston Bruins. He also played for the Lightning before joining the Panthers, but he only played three games in Florida after failing to carve out a role on the roster.

Gord Hynes

The final defenseman selected by the Panthers was Gord Hynes of the Philadelphia Flyers. He appeared in zero games for Florida and only played 52 NHL games in his career.

Tom Fitzgerald

The first forward selection of the night was Tom Fitzgerald. He was a 25-year-old from the New York Islanders and became a key member of the Panthers for five seasons, bringing dependability to a newly created lineup.

Jesse Belanger

The first center picked by the Panthers was 24-year-old Jesse Belanger of the Montreal Canadiens. He brought a Stanley Cup-winning pedigree, playing nine games in the Canadiens’ championship run in 1993.

Scot Levins

The first right winger selected in franchise history was the Winnipeg Jets’ Scot Levins. He appeared in 29 games for the Panthers during their inaugural campaign, registering five goals and six assists. He was traded in January of that year, along with Evgeny Davydov and a conditional pick, to the Ottawa Senators for Bob Kudelski.

Scott Mellanby

Scott Mellanby, selected 30th from the Edmonton Oilers at the age of 27, stayed with the Panthers until he was 34. He played 552 games with the club, scoring 157 goals and 197 assists, including two campaigns with 30 or more goals, an All-Star campaign, and a season in which he finished 22nd in Hart Trophy voting. Mellanby was key in helping to form the team’s identity in their early years, and critical to their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.

Brian Skrudland

Continuing to bolster their center group, the Panthers selected Brian Skrudland from the Flames, who came over to the Miami Arena at age 30. He played 256 games with the club over parts of four seasons, scoring 32 goals and 67 assists. He earned three Selke Trophy nominations, two third-place finishes, and a 15th-place finish as a member of the Panthers.

Dave Lowry

Florida selected Dave Lowry, a 28-year-old left winger from the St. Louis Blues, 35th overall. He was a key depth contributor throughout his time with the franchise, appearing in 272 games over parts of five seasons and contributing 50 goals and 60 assists.

Through the expansion draft, the Panthers laid the foundation for their franchise by selecting some important players. Key pieces like Mellanby and Vanbiesbrouck became staples of the organization, who helped set them up for a Stanley Cup Final appearance in their early years.