Sun May 25 03:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Panthers’ Post-Win Celebration: Teammates Target “Rat” Brad Marchand with Plastic Rodents

**SUNRISE, Fla. -** The Florida Panthers’ playoff run is not just about the on-ice action; it’s about the unique (and slightly painful) post-game celebrations. Every Panthers victory now ends with players targeting teammate Brad Marchand, nicknamed “The Rat” throughout his career for his on-ice agitation, with a barrage of plastic rats.

The tradition, a playful twist on the franchise’s long-standing “Rat Trick,” started after the Panthers acquired Marchand at the trade deadline. Inspired by winger Evan Rodrigues, players now fire the plastic rodents at Marchand as they leave the ice after a win.

“Yeah, they’re shooting to hurt now,” Marchand joked before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. “Matthew Tkachuk caught me with one last game that I actually really felt there.”

The original “Rat Trick” dates back to the 1995-96 season when forward Scott Mellanby famously killed a rat in the locker room with his stick, leading to a Panthers victory. Fans began throwing toy rats on the ice, solidifying the rodent as an unofficial mascot and a fixture in the team’s culture. The team store even sells the plastic rats used in the current celebration.

Captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk have joined in the fun, much to the amusement of coach Paul Maurice. “I will tell you that they’re shooting them as hard as they can,” Maurice said after witnessing the tradition for the first time. “There’s shrapnel around there, and I didn’t have any equipment on. I was just trying to get off the ice without getting hurt.”

Marchand insists the rat-shooting is just a small part of the fun the team is having as they chase another Stanley Cup. Center Sam Bennett noted that the team’s lighthearted approach extends to all games, even the high-stakes playoff matches.

“We don’t change the way we prepare for games… We’re always joking around,” Bennett said. “I think it’s just the way our team prepares and it seems to work for us. So we definitely enjoy it.”

For the Panthers, the “Rat Trick” has evolved into a unique way to celebrate victories and a testament to the team’s camaraderie as they continue their playoff journey, one plastic rat at a time.

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