Paul Laus will always have a special place in Florida Panthers history as the team's first enforcer and fan favorite
An original member of the Florida Panthers, Paul Laus played his entire 530 game NHL career with the Cats.
The Beamsville, Ontario native was selected by Florida in the 1993 Expansion Draft.
He broke into the league during the Panthers' Inaugural Season and began carving out a role for himself as the team's tough guy.
Laus was always quick to drop the gloves and take on anybody from the opposing team looking for a fight, and considering how much fans seem to enjoy players taking swings at one another, the then-23-year-old quickly became a favorite in South Florida.
He was the last remaining original Panther when a hand injury forced him into retirement during the 2001-02 season, an injury he fittingly suffered during a fight.
In the many years since, the Panthers have seen a decent amount of tough guys come and go.
Some, like Peter Worrell, Shawn Thornton and currently Ryan Lomberg, have left a lasting memory on Florida fans, but they'll always be compared to the original glove dropper.
A few years ago, Laus' daughter Lexie made a documentary about her father while studying at Niagara College.
In it, you hear from Laus as he talks about his career, his time with the Panthers and the injury that ended his career.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCGCZi68vNY[/embed]
Laus will always have a special place in Panthers history as the team's original enforcer.
Who would've thought a guy who scored 14 goals in 530 games would be this beloved by a franchise and its fanbase?
Hopefully we'll get to see Laus around the rink in the not-too-distant future as the Panthers celebrate the team's 30th anniversary season.