The Panthers’ on-ice struggles and revolving door of general managers, coaches and players the past few years have left all but the most ardent fan unclear exactly what the team is about.

That’s why the Panthers hired SME, a New York branding firm with years of experience helping sports teams and companies create brand messages and new logos. After spending the past few months interviewing diehard and casual fans as well as non-sports fans, SME and the Panthers say they learned the community appreciates the Panthers for creating connections among families and season ticket-holders who sit together at BankAtlantic Center; providing chances to meet players at games and other functions; and for the drama of the game itself.

The Panthers’ new brand positioning statement is meant to encompass those qualities:

“The Florida Panthers: The Puck Unites”

The statement, which is something like a tagline that will be integrated into all aspects of the team’s business, is meant to illustrate what the team is about. SME helped the Boston Bruins become “The Hub of Hockey” and created the “Hard Work Every Night” concept for the Detroit Pistons.

This is a new idea for the Panthers and one team officials hope will endure for years. While it’s not an advertising tagline, it will appear on ads. Think of it as a tagline that stays with a company for years, even when advertising changes, such as Gatorade’s “Is it in you?,” Toyota’s “Moving Forward,” or Maxwell House’s “Good to the last drop.”

Meanwhile, Lipof Advertising of Plantation is responsible for this year’s ad or retail message, which will be used to sell tickets. It is “See it. Get it. Love it.” The idea, team officials say, is that you can see games, get tickets and fall in love with the game. It will appear as just that tagline, but also with other ideas, such as “See it. $1.50 Per Day; Get it. 42 Nights; Love it. All Season Long.” Ads should break in the next week or two.

The brand statement by itself isn’t expected to grow the fan base or increase revenue for the team. A brand message, said Ed O’Hara, SME’s chief creative officer, is about an overall picture of the team, not selling tickets.

“That’s the classic question for the advertising agency to worry about a little more,” O’Hara said. “Our goal was to define the brand for the long term.”

So, what do you think? Does “The Puck Unites” say Panthers hockey to you? Do you have a suggestion for a statement you would prefer? Do you like the advertising tagline?