The Florida Panthers begin the 2026-27 NHL season as the league’s fifth-oldest team, based on their average age of 29.96. Even though they do boast a handful of players over the age of 35, like Brad Marchand (38), Lars Eller (37), Jacob Markström (36), Radko Gudas (36), and Dmitri Kulikov (35), none of these players are close to being among the oldest ever to wear a Panthers sweater. Today, we look at those players, many with Hall of Fame resumes.
Oldest players in Panthers history
10. Alex Kovalev (39)
Alex Kovalev had a long NHL career, winning the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994 at just age 20. After missing the 2011-12 season, he returned as a free agent, signing with the Florida Panthers and playing his final 14 games with the club in 2012-13. He scored two goals and had five points, retiring on March 21, 2013.
9. Roberto Luongo (39)
Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo needs no introduction to Panthers fans, as he is the only player with his number retired by the organization. During his two stints with the club, from 2000 to 2006 and 2013 to 2019, he set most of the club’s goalie records. Today, Luo is part of the team’s management core, getting his name on the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025.
8. Shawn Thornton (39)
Shawn Thornton never met an opponent he was afraid to drop the gloves with. Over 14 years in the NHL, including his last three with the Panthers from 2014 to 2017, he scored 42 goals and 102 points, while collecting 1,103 penalty minutes. With the Boston Bruins, he won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
7. Tim Thomas (39)
Tim Thomas is one of two Conn Smythe Trophy winners on the list, helping the Bruins win their only Stanley Cup this century back in 2011. The undrafted netminder had one of the most successful late-blooming careers in NHL history, winning several Vezina Trophies before suiting up for 40 games with the Panthers in 2013-14. He produced a 16-20-3 record in Florida.
6. Gary Roberts (40)
Gary Roberts had a brilliant career, skating in over 1,200 games and winning the Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989 at 22. By the time he joined Florida, he was 39, but he still recorded 40 points during his first season with the club in 2005-06. Off the ice, Roberts is known for his intense training regimen and has influenced today’s players through his offseason work.
5. Igor Larionov (40)
Igor Larionov didn’t make his NHL debut until he was 29 years old, instead compiling a Hall of Fame-worthy resume with Russia on the international hockey scene. As a multi-time Stanley Cup winner, Larionov played just 26 games with the Panthers in 2000-01, scoring five goals and 11 points. Considered one of the greatest Russian players of all time, Larionov is still active in the game, coaching in the KHL.
4. Joe Nieuwendyk (40)
Joe Nieuwendyk is another Hall of Famer who suited up with the Panthers late in his career. He won the Stanley Cup with three different teams and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1999 with Dallas. At 39, he came to Florida and tallied 26 goals and 56 points in 2005-06 before playing only 15 games in 2006-07 and retiring on Dec. 7, 2006.
3. Ed Belfour (41)
Ed Belfour won the Stanley Cup along with Niewendyk in Dallas, and is one of the few netminders in NHL history to win the Vezina and Calder Trophies in the same season. As one of the game’s winningest goalies, ranking fifth all-time, he played his final games with the Panthers in 2006-07, producing a 27-17-10 record in 58 games.
2. Joe Thornton (42)
Joe Thornton was the first overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft and is considered one of the game’s greatest players who never won the Stanley Cup. Over 24 seasons, he played 1,714 games and collected 1,539 points. At 42, Thornton played his final NHL season with the Panthers, scoring five goals and ten points in 34 games.
1. Jaromir Jagr (44)
The ageless Jaromir Jagr is still skating in his native Czechia at 54, but hasn’t played a game since last season. Surprisingly, it’s been a decade since he wore a Panthers sweater, when he played with the club from 2014 to 2017. Over 181 games with Florida, he scored 49 goals and 130 points, including a 27-goal season in 2015-16. Jagr is the NHL’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,921 points, while ranking fourth all-time in goals with 766.
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