Dave Lowry had one heck of an amazing postseason when Florida made its run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final
A recent piece of NHL news may have sent some longtime Florida Panthers fans on a trip down memory lane.
On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets announced that forward Adam Lowry had been named the team's next captain after going the entire 2022-23 season without one.
Lowry is entering his tenth season with the Jets after they selected him in the third-round of the 2011 NHL Draft.
Lowry is also the son of longtime NHL forward Dave Lowry, who spent parts of five seasons in South Florida with the Panthers.
An original Florida Panther, Lowry left the team as part of a pretty massive trade, going to the San Jose Sharks along with a 1998 first-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick and Viktor Kozlov.
During his time with the Panthers, Lowry was an extremely solid middle-six forward. He scored double-digit goals in four full seasons with Florida, with his biggest numbers coming in the team's inaugural season when he logged 15 goals and 37 points.
When Florida made the playoffs for the first time during the team's third year of existence, Lowry suddenly channeled his inner-Wayne Gretzky.
You see, Lowry was never a point-per-game kind of player, which made what he did during Florida's unprecedented run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final so special.
After putting up 10 goals and 24 points during 63 regular season games that year, Lowry balled out during the playoffs.
In 22 postseason games, Lowry, who looked amazing in his bright red playoff beard, scored 10 goals and added seven assists.
Two of those goals were game-winners, with one coming in overtime against Philadelphia in round two.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsnOwhqEUbY[/embed]
At one point, he had 16 points in 15 postseason games before Patrick Roy and Colorado snuffed out most of Florida's offense during the Final.
Lowry suddenly becoming the driving force behind the Panthers offense seemed as magical a development as the team's playoff run itself.
He went on to play another eight seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2004, eventually entering the coaching ranks.
Interestingly enough, Lowry was an assistant under former Jets and current Panthers head coach Paul Maurice during Mo's final seasons in Winnipeg.
When Maurice resigned in December of 2021, it was Lowry who would be named interim head coach.
Currently, Lowry is on Dave Hakstol's staff in Seattle.
For now, enjoy the visit to the Panthers playoff archives, which has to feel a little different following the team's run to the Final last season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnPZX0U9-XI[/embed]
