Storm Warning! Rain of Rats Maybe in the Forecast. Or, Will it be a Flood of Orange and Blue

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Big Game Tonight. The Oilers have big Mo, but the Panthers can be relentless.

A few weeks ago, I posted a story about the Florida Rat that has become part of hockey lore. The response inspired me to expand the story with background and backstories. I circulated it to some #media and also posted it to Brandit With Robyn. https://shorturl.at/5wEe

Here is the expanded version.

Setting the Stage

If Mathew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers win, it will be rats! If Conner McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers win, it will be rabid fans who have flown 4,120 km on an 8-hour flight to spill onto the ice dressed in colorful orange and blue costumes the minute the final whistle blows. Either way, the cup finals have been the stuff sports legends.

Rat Legend

As the Florida Panthers emerged from the NHL's Eastern Conference to meet the Western champion Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup final, the story of the rat storm of 1996 bubbled to the surface.

Do you remember the story? A legend grew from a single, slightly disgusting act involving a rat! Disgusting, that is, unless you are a fan of rat extermination. https://shorturl.at/5wEeA

Passion for Hockey

It was only natural that I shared the story about rats with my grandsons, Alex and Jace. We share a passion for hockey and hockey history.

At some point, I had told them about the famous rat attack. Both live in Halifax, while I live in Calgary.

We watch games together while texting comments and reactions back and forth as each game unfolds. This year, they went silent during every third period when the Oilers and Panthers played in Edmonton. I found it annoying until their grandmother reminded me there is a 3-hour time difference and they had gone to bed.

Alex remembered the story and asked me to retell it. I wrote it down and sent it to him. I also shared it on my various social media channels. It generated a lot of attention.

Sponsorship Brilliance

And why, you ask, am I sharing it on my Brandit with Robyn blog?

Part of the story includes a brilliant sponsorship chapter about a rat extermination company that recognized a golden opportunity.

Let's just say the stars were aligned. At the end of this post, I describe the classic sponsorship that is still paying off today!

Background to the Rat

The Florida Panthers were established in 1993, a year after the Tampa Bay Lightning. The thinking was thousands of snowbirds from Canada and the northern United States would flock to the games filling the arenas to overflowing.

That was a false hope; the first years were grim on the ice and in the stands. Things got better as both teams improved their talent.

By 1996, the Panthers surprised the hockey world by making the playoffs. The team's first coach, the legendary Roger Neilson, taught the young players the fundamentals of the game.

Doug McClean followed Roger. Doug was a motivator who continued to build on Neilson's foundation.

A Rat Hole

Unfortunately, the Cats played in the antiquated Miami Arena, which was—excuse the term—a rat hole! It was a dump of an arena that held about 14,700 fans. Not that sellouts were a problem!

Scott Mellanby played for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers. He was also the son of Hockey Night in Canada producer Ralph Mellanby, which made him hockey royalty—sort of.

The Panthers selected him during the expansion draft.RATS!

YOU'LL NEED TO CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY https://shorturl.at/5wEer

Robyn T. Braley is a brand specialist, writer and speaker. You can contact him at https://shorturl.at/9Nali