Panthers troll rat-free Alberta after Game 3 win in Edmonton

Rats are invading Alberta for the first time in 74 years.

But this time, they’re plastic.

The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Northern Alberta Thursday and one of the Panthers’ trademark symbols, a plastic rat, hit the ice after the win.

Alberta has been rat-free since a provincial program was introduced in 1950 to combat the pest.

The Panthers were quick to troll Oilers fans with a post on social media.

The rat has been synonymous with the Panthers since the club’s first run to the Stanley Cup Final, in 1996. That season, forward Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room prior to the Panthers’ home opener and went on to score two goals in the game. Now, fans throw thousands of plastic rats on the ice after Panthers home wins during the playoffs.

At least one of those rats made it north on Thursday. If the Panthers complete the sweep with a win in Game 4 on Saturday, you can expect plenty more rats to hit the ice in Edmonton.