The 2008–09 Florida Panthers season was the 16th season for the franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). The 2008–09 season was also the eighth consecutive season in which the Panthers did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs, finishing level on points with the qualifying Montreal Canadiens, but suffering from an inferior head-to-head record (1–3), the decisive tiebreaker. On June 14, 2008, the Panthers named Peter DeBoer head coach and signed him to a multi-year contract. Former head coach Jacques Martin had resigned from the position but retained his position as general manager.