SUNRISE, Fla. – Even on a hot summer day, the Florida Panthers once again proved ice hockey could thrive in a tropical climate.

While most of the NHL continued to enjoy its relatively short offseason this past weekend, the Panthers hosted the “Weekend of the Rat,” which reunited 18 members of the squad that took South Florida on an unforgettable run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996.

The former Eastern Conference champions skated to 9-5 triumph over a team comprised of members of the Panthers Alumni Association during an exhibition game Saturday.

It marked the first opportunity for the group to play in the arena that they helped lay the groundwork for.

“It dawns on me every time I drive by here. That ‘96 team built this building,” former Panthers coach Doug MacLean said. “A month into that season, we were moving to Nashville. It was a done deal. This team kept hockey in South Florida.”

Before the contest, a team representative noted about 6,000 fans were expected to attend the event. They drew nearly double that amount, which packed the entire lower bowl and two-thirds of the club level of the BankAtlantic Center.

“For events like these, you never know what to expect,” said Dallas Stars center Stu Barnes, who played with the team from 1993-96. “But it was nice to see a lot of people out there looking for autographs. It seemed like the crowd had fun out there during the game.”

“It was a real fun day, a great environment to be in,” MacLean said. “The support they got from the fans, I don’t know that you’d see that in many other cities. It shows there are tremendously passionate fans in South Florida.”

For a couple of hours, the 1996 Panthers gave fans a reason to forget the dysfunction that has enveloped the team in recent years.

Florida has missed the playoffs in each of its past six seasons and has not won a postseason game since 1997. They have not retained the same coach and general manager in back-to-back seasons since 2000. On the ice, only Olli Jokinen, Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss have played for the Panthers in each of the past four seasons.

“I think this weekend here is a big step in the right direction to get this team back in the forefront down here in South Florida,” said Brian Skrudland, Florida’s first captain. “We know you only get 20,000 people in this rink and it’s not comparative to whatever they’re drawing at Dolphins games, Marlins games and Heat games.”

Skrudland recalled the franchise always faced the daunting task of proving ice hockey could thrive in this region.

During the offseason before 1995-96, doubts began to surface as discussions with local municipalities about a new arena stalled. Rumors suggested the team would be moved to Nashville if an arena deal could not be reached.

But on Oct. 8, 1995, a rodent scurried through the Panthers’ dressing room at the Miami Arena and changed everything. Scott Mellanby one-timed the vermin into the wall, killing it, then went out to score two goals that evening in a win against the Calgary Flames.

Goalie John Vanbiesbrouck dubbed Mellanby’s effort hockey’s first “rat trick.” MacLean cites it as the start of Florida’s incredible run.

“We lost our first game, then won five in a row and never looked back after that,” MacLean said. “By the end of that five-game stretch, we were as good as any team in the league.”

By the end of that season, Panthers fans had made their mark on the NHL by creating on-ice infestations with rubber rats. Florida secured a playoff berth and gave the area its first taste of a professional championship run since 1985, when the Miami Dolphins lost in Super Bowl XIX.

The frenzy also brought light to the Panthers’ possible relocation, which resulted in a couple cities bidding to build a new arena.

Only 11 players instrumental in the Cup run were still with the team when the building opened in October 1998.

“We were here for the ground breaking and then we all left,” said Vanbiesbrouck, who signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers the summer before the arena opened. “We knew special things were happening, but to see it now, the stadium is something special, knowing we were a part of it.”

The Panthers were unable to replicate the same energy they created in 1996 on Saturday, but they didn’t disappoint. For the first 10 minutes of the contest, though, fans nervously squeezed their rubber rats as the ‘96 squad fell behind 2-0. It wasn’t long before Barnes finished off a quick pass by Mellanby, which sent the rodents flying.

“Honest to God, I got chills,” MacLean said. “When they came out, it was pretty neat, pretty special.”

While fans relished the opportunity to take part in a tradition now banned by the NHL, members of the ‘96 team used the weekend to reflect on their accomplishment and what made the group so special.

“For us to make the Stanley Cup as a three-year expansion team, it’s really quite a feat,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, Florida’s backup goalie from 1993-97. “No one really expected us to win. I don’t even think we expected we could do it.”

“I think the word character has been used so much this weekend,” Skrudland said. “It wasn’t necessarily an overabundance of talent or an overabundance of one thing.”

For MacLean, the gathering served as a great opportunity to express his appreciation for the team that played a significant role in his future as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Like I said to these guys last night, I wanted to thank them because this group made my career,” he said.

And like wiser elders, the group didn’t hesitate in offering their thoughts about the current state of the franchise.

Vanbiesbrouck cited offseason moves by GM Jacques Martin as reason to think better days were ahead. MacLean believes the addition of goalie Tomas Vokoun will have a huge impact next season. Skrudland noted the young, skilled nucleus as a positive.

All were in agreement, however, that developing the character and chemistry of the 1996 team is what the current squad should focus on.

“It never hurt to look into the history of any business, any sports franchise to see where the true successes came from,” Skrudland said.

If this weekend was any indication, the Panthers already have.