In each of the past four NHL seasons, one Florida Panthers home game has been transformed into an absolute fiesta.
"Vamos Gatos! Night" is the Panthers' annual celebration of the Hispanic community in South Florida. It includes music, dancing and food vendors offering much more than the normal chicken fingers and fries. But the most memorable aspect of "Vamos Gatos! Night" features the Panthers inviting local artists to transform the team's logos and jerseys into vibrant art pieces.
Previous jersey designs have incorporated iconography such as pineapples, Cafecito cups and the colors of Latin American countries' flags. The 2025-26 "Vamos Gatos! Night" jerseys, dropping on Monday for the Panthers' game against the Buffalo Sabres that same night, might be the most entrancing and intricate ones yet.
The logos were designed by Jonathan "Rekal" Torres, an illustrator and graffiti artist originally from Colombia, who incorporated elements from Hispanic culture and his own life.
The pattern on the crest and the numbers is inspired by indigenous Colombian culture, which is part of Rekal's heritage.
Hockey sticks underneath the Panthers logo feature dominos on the blades, referencing a foundational game in Hispanic cultures.
A Cuban link chain, something Rekal's father often wore, is shown around the neck of the Panthers mascot on the jersey with the words "Vamos Gatos" dangling from it.
On one shoulder, there's a rat with the state silhouette behind it, referencing the unofficial mascot of the Panthers. On the other shoulder is a panther's claw gripping a hockey puck.
"As a kid, I was really into sports but not for the reason a lot of kids are into sports," Rekal said. "I was into the mascots and the jerseys and the designs. Being that it's 'Vamos Gatos! Night,' I really wanted to plug in those Latin flavors into the design."
