Panthers, Lightning combine for more than 300 PIMs in heated game

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning weren’t waiting until the regular season begins to resume their heated rivalry.

In their final pre-season meeting on Saturday, which the Panthers won 7-0, the two Florida squads had a rotating cast in the penalty box, combining for a whopping 312 penalty minutes through three periods.

The melee started quickly after puck drop and did not let up, when the Lightning’s Scott Sabourin received a game misconduct after attempting to initiate a fight with Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad, catching the 29-year-old in the head.

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-525095" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6382051825112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6382051825112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/sabourin-tagged-with-match-penalty-after-sending-ekblad-to-locker-room/" }); });

Shortly thereafter, both Carter Verhaeghe and Roman Schmidt were assessed five-minute major penalties for cross-checking and boarding, respectively. Verhaeghe, who was tossed from the game, was assessed an extra 10-minute misconduct alongside Lightning forward JJ Moser.

Moser was also front and centre in the action later on in the period, lining up a hit-from-behind on the Panthers’ Jesper Boqvist, triggering a line brawl. Moser was ejected from the game, assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding. Three other two-minute minor penalties for roughing were assessed to Lightning forward Dylan Duke and Panthers forwards Cole Scwindt and Luke Kunin.

Then, right before the buzzer sounded on the opening frame, Emil Lilleberg and Jonah Gadjovic dropped the gloves, combining for 24 penalty minutes off that exchange alone.

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-653682" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6382051170112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Panthers-and-Lightning-brawl-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/mosers-dangerous-hit-sparks-line-brawl-between-panthers-and-lightning/" }); });

The chaos continued throughout the final 40 minutes and when all was said and done, the Lightning finished the game with 144 combined minutes in the box compared to the Panthers’ 130. By the final buzzer, there were 15 10-minute misconducts, 15 five-minute major penalties and 32 two-minute minors.

Dylan Duke of the Lightning led all players with 31 penalty minutes and 13 players were tossed from the game. That included Nikko Mikkola, although it seems nobody told him that, as he was on the ice for Boqvist’s goal that made it 8-0 after his ejection. A few minutes later, the goal was rescinded for occurring with an ineligible player on the ice.

It came close, but Saturday’s gong show didn’t quite beat the record for most combined penalty minutes in one game. That record belongs to the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, who in 2004 combined for 419 penalty minutes — 409 of which took place in the third period. If this had been a regular-season game, it would have taken the cake for most PIMs since 2011, per Sportsnet Stats.

The Panthers and Lightning each have some time to cool down, though, as their next meeting isn’t until Nov. 15.