The Panthers began playing in the 1993–94 NHL season, where they set the then-record for most successful expansion team until the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017–18. The team has made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, in 1996, the only season in which the Panthers have ever won a playoff series, eventually losing the Finals to the Colorado Avalanche. Since then, the Panthers have struggled to find sustained success, having only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs five times since 1996.