The final preseason meeting between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night in Sunrise will be remembered less for the score and more for what unfolded in between. Florida may have cruised to a 7-0 win, but the real story was one of confusion, chaos, and a moment the NHL reportedly has never seen before, involving Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola.
Was This the Most Chaotic Lightning vs. Panthers Game Ever Played?
Midway through the third period, Mikkola, who had already been assessed a game misconduct at 4:01, somehow ended up back on the ice. Incredibly, he picked up an assist on what appeared to be Florida’s eighth goal of the night. The crowd roared, the scoreboard flashed 8-0, and play went on as usual.
Then came the twist. Nearly ten minutes later, officials realized the error: Mikkola had been ejected and was not eligible to play. The goal was wiped off the board, and Florida was hit with a penalty for using an ineligible player.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman summed it up on social media, saying he had “never seen this before.”
Never seen this before:
Nikko Mikkola had a game misconduct. I’m not sure if no one told him or what…but after it was called, he continued to play and assisted on Florida’s 8-0 goal.
Minutes later, that one was removed from the scoreboard and it is back to 7-0.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 5, 2025
It was a bizarre footnote in what was already a wild night between two rivals known for testing each other’s limits.
A Rivalry That Refuses to Cool Down
Saturday’s game marked the second heated meeting between the two teams in just three days. Their Thursday matchup had already produced 186 penalty minutes and plenty of bad blood. This time, it escalated to 312 penalty minutes, 16 ejections, and a flurry of scuffles that left benches nearly empty by the final horn.
The opening minutes set the tone. Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin was tossed after cross-checking Aaron Ekblad in the face, triggering a string of fights and game misconducts. Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe soon joined the list after a hard boarding call, followed by Lightning defensemen J.J. Moser and Roman Schmidt, both shown the door for dangerous hits.
By the end of the second period, both benches were running out of players. “It got silly. It got stupid,” said Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. “By the end of it, it wasn’t really hockey out there.”
Lightning coach Jon Cooper agreed, calling it one of the strangest games he’s ever coached. “That was a first for me. I think we had more coaches than players on the bench at one point,” he said.
Florida, however, made the most of their opportunities. They went 4-for-17 on the power play, while Tampa Bay failed to score on any of its six chances.
The “Battle of Florida” has always been intense, but this preseason series took it to another level. Both teams have been among the NHL’s elite in recent years, combining for six Stanley Cup Final appearances and four championships since 2020.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice downplayed the mayhem afterward, saying only, “The league will handle it like they do in the playoffs.”
The Panthers now turn their focus to opening night on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, when they’ll raise their championship banner at home. The Lightning, bruised and likely still processing the chaos, will begin their season Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.
