Browsing: goalie

The New York Islanders got an early contender for win of the year on Saturday, defeating the Ottawa Senators late in a matinee contest. New York came from behind three times in the victory, with Anders Lee scoring the game-winner with just over a minute to play in regulation.

However, not to be lost in the effort was a timely performance by Ilya Sorokin. While he wasn’t at his sharpest, allowing four goals on 33 Ottawa shots, he made several big saves late, including a penalty shot save on Shane Pinto, to give his team a chance to rally late.

His stop on Pinto continued his success on penalty shots in his career. Per MSG Network’s Eric Hornick, Sorokin is a perfect four-for-four on such opportunities. His stops came against Michael Bunting and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Jan. 2023, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins April 2024, Jason Zucker and the Buffalo Sabres in Nov. 2024. Two of those three stops have led to Islanders wins.

While both sides can be heard of Sorokin’s struggles to open the campaign and the Islanders’ struggles structurally, the goaltender made the big saves when needed to give them a chance to pull off the comeback.

The Islanders return to action against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday at UBS Arena, puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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Carter Hart has his next NHL opportunity.

He officially joined the Golden Knights organization Thursday, the team announced. According to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hart has signed a professional tryout offer, which will eventually convert into an NHL deal.

Wednesday was the first day Hart and four other players involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were eligible to sign with an NHL club. The former Flyers goalie will be eligible to play for Vegas on Dec. 1. The Golden Knights are a consensus Stanley Cup contender this season.

Vegas visits the Flyers on Dec. 11 (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and then the clubs meet again Jan. 19 on the West Coast (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty in July almost a year and a half after being charged with sexual assault, stemming from a June 2018 incident in London, Ontario.

Danny Briere said in September that Hart’s agent contacted the Flyers and pretty much ruled out the possibility of a reunion between the club and goaltender. It’s uncertain if the Flyers had interest in bringing Hart back.

“In light of everything that happened in the last year and a half with Carter, they felt and Carter felt that it was better for them to look for a fresh start,” the Flyers general manager said then. “That’s where it’s at and it’s the only comment I’m going to make on it.”

The Flyers cut ties with Hart in June 2024 when they didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, turning his restricted free-agent status into unrestricted. He had been away from the team since January 2024 after being granted an indefinite leave of absence.

The 27-year-old started in five straight season openers for the Flyers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. He played parts of six seasons for the club.

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Oct 15, 2025, 05:58 PM ET

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Kings have reacquired veteran goalie Pheonix Copley in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning to provide depth while Darcy Kuemper is slowed by a lower-body injury.

The Kings acquired Copley, 33, in exchange for future considerations.

Copley spent the previous three years in the Kings’ organization, including 42 games last season for the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The former Washington netminder started 35 games for Los Angeles during the 2022-23 season before missing most of the 2023-24 season due to knee surgery.

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The Lightning claimed Copley off waivers earlier this month while they were worried about the status of starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, who struggled with an injury in training camp. Vasilevskiy ultimately was healthy enough to play in Tampa Bay’s season opener.

Anton Forsberg is the primary backup to Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season along with Vasilevskiy.

Forsberg started the only victory in four games this season for the Kings (1-2-1).

Kuemper missed practice Wednesday along with captain Anze Kopitar due to lower-body injuries. Forsberg seems likely to start when the Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

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Cayden Primeau (© Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

During the off-season, the Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Carolina Hurricanes. The move was understandable, as Primeau needed a change of scenery.

However, after being placed on waivers ahead of the season by the Hurricanes, Primeau was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thus, his time with the Hurricanes came to a quick end.

Now, Primeau has made a positive impact in his first appearance with the Maple Leafs.

Primeau made his Maple Leafs debut in their Oct. 14 matchup against the Nashville Predators. Primeau stopped 26 out of 30 shots in the Maple Leafs’ 7-4 win over the Predators.

Primeau getting a win in his Maple Leafs debut was certainly a solid way for him to leave a first impression with his new club. The former Canadiens goaltender will now be looking to build off his first victory with the Maple Leafs when given the opportunity to start again.

Primeau was selected by the Canadiens with the 199th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 55 games over six seasons with the Canadiens from 2019-20 to 2024-25, Primeau recorded a 13-24-7 record, a .884 save percentage, a 3.69 goals-against average, and two shutouts. He also had an 84-44-14 record, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.60 goals-against average in 149 AHL games over five seasons with the Laval Rocket.

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Wednesday brings a jam-packed night of NHL action highlighted by several marquee matchups including a clash between a proven powerhouse and an up-and-coming contender. The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers will take on the surging Detroit Red Wings in what promises to be a high-energy showdown.

Florida aims to bounce back from its first loss of the season to the Flyers on Monday and extend its dominant 23-4-1 record against Detroit over their last 28 meetings. Meanwhile, the Red Wings return home riding the momentum of back-to-back victories over the Maple Leafs.

With a full slate of games and plenty of opportunities to cash in, Wednesday’s action should deliver excitement across the board. We’re looking to carry our early-season success forward building on last year’s strong player prop performances in Mitch Marner, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, Rasmus Dahlin, Teuvo Teravainen and Connor Hellebuyck.

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

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Bedard, Kyrou Back Offense in High-Scoring Hawks-Blues MatchupBedard, Kyrou Back Offense in High-Scoring Hawks-Blues MatchupChicago’s Connor Bedard and St. Louis’ Jordan Kyrou headline Best Bets options for Wednesday’s marquee matchup between the Hawks and Blues.

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The Red Wings and Panthers rarely push their offensive limits when facing off as they normally see defensive showdowns with five or fewer goals in 16 of their last 23 matchups with the under hitting in three consecutive matchups when playing in Detroit. This has been held up mainly by Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a otherworldly record against the Red Wings with a 28-7-2 record, a 1.85 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in 38 appearances.

To combat this, Detroit is expected to turn to their former all-star netminder in John Gibson. The former longtime Ducks goaltender had a troubling debut with the Red Wings, allowing five goals and being pulled at the end of the second period. We can expect a much better response out of the 32-year-old Pittsburgh native as he will need to keep up with Bobrovsky if he wants to give his team a chance.

Gibson’s numbers in this matchup aren’t as impressive with a 4-8-3 record and a 3.29 goals-against average but those numbers are likely a reflection of the Ducks’ struggles during his tenure. Despite that, his individual performance stood out, as he recorded a solid .918 save percentage over 16 games against the Panthers. He’ll look to build on that success this Wednesday.

He’ll look to styme a Panthers offense that is without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk as well as their active players like Sam Bennett struggling to start the season with one point through four games. Bennett also has no points in three straight meetings and managing points in only four of his last 11 games versus Detroit since joining the Panthers. Playoff healthy scratches like Mackie Samoskevich and Evan Rodrigues have been carrying the load for the Panthers early on in the season and should mean a low-scoring affair.

Canadiens Emerging as Smart Stanley Cup Sleeper PickCanadiens Emerging as Smart Stanley Cup Sleeper PickReports indicate the Canadiens are expected to be active this offseason, making their long Stanley Cup odds an intriguing value for bettors.

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Goalie interference can be a controversial topic for hockey watchers who try to understand why some goals are overturned, while others are allowed.

This season, we’ll provide a running tracker of goalie interference plays and challenges to see how the NHL is ruling on each play and help show you the standard that is followed in 2025-26.

We will show the most recent challenge at the top.

Overall coach’s challenge record: 2-1
* denotes coach’s challenge

*Monday, Oct. 13: Nashville at Ottawa

The situation: Midway through the second period of a 0-0 game, the Senators won an offensive zone faceoff and put pressure on the Predators. Brady Tkachuk was positioned at the top of Nashville’s crease, outside of the blue paint. Tim Stutzle carried the puck into the slot, but after being stick checked and losing possession he continued into Nashville’s crease on his own. Stutzle’s skate made contact with goalie Juuse Saros’ left pad in the blue ice and, immediately after, Jake Sanderson collected the loose puck and his shot beat Saros. The leg Saros would use to push off to challenge the shooter is the one Stutzle made contact with.

The call on the ice was a goal and the Senators took a 1-0 lead. But Nashville’s bench challenged the play for goalie interference.

The ruling: After a lengthy review, the call on the ice was overturned and the Ottawa goal was taken off the board.

Via the NHL: “Video review determined Ottawaâ€s Tim Stutzle entered the crease on his own, made contact with the pad of goaltender Juuse Saros and impaired his ability to play his position prior to Jake Sanderson’s goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.1, which states in part, “Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeperâ€s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal.‘”

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The result: About six minutes later, with 7:49 to go in the second period, Nashville opened the scoring to take a 1-0 lead.

Saturday, Oct. 11: Philadelphia at Carolina

The situation: In overtime, Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim received a pass from Trevor Zegras and drove to the net. He was stick-checked by a Carolina defender who jumped and fell to the ice. Sanheim continued on his path after losing the puck, went through the crease and bumped into Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen. Philadelphia’s Bobby Brink picked up the loose puck and scored. The ruling on the ice was a goal, which gave the Flyers a 3-2 win.

The ruling: The call on the ice was overruled by the Situation Room, which steps in for overtime reviews. Sanheim went into the goalie crease on his own and made contact with Andersen in the blue paint.

Via the NHL: “Video review determined Philadelphiaâ€s Travis Sanheim impaired Frederik Andersenâ€s ability to play his position in the crease prior to Bobby Brinkâ€s goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.1 which states, in part, ‘Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeperâ€s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal.‘”

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The result: Carolina won the ensuing faceoff on their side of centre ice in the neutral zone and worked the play into Philadelphia’s end. About 36 seconds after the reviewed Philadelphia goal, Seth Jarvis scored to give Carolina the 4-3 win.

*Saturday, Oct. 11: Columbus at Minnesota

The situation: Mid-way through the second period, the Wild were on a power play trailing 2-0. After gaining the zone, the Wild began putting pressure on the Blue Jackets and Kirill Kaprizov took a shot from the faceoff dot as Joel Eriksson Ek battled for position in front of the net — outside of the blue paint — and got inside the defenceman. Elvis Merzlikins made the first save and as Eriksson Ek battled for the rebound with two Columbus players and the goalie, contact is made with Merzlikins.

Matthew Boldy banged in the rebound to cut Columbus’ lead in half, making it a 2-1 game. But Columbus’ bench decided to challenge the play for goalie interference.

The ruling:The call on the ice was confirmed, keeping the game 2-1 Columbus. Because it was a failed coach’s challenge, the Blue Jackets were issued a two-minute penalty and went right back on the PK.

Via the NHL: “After video review, it was determined that the incidental contact between Minnesotaâ€s Joel Eriksson Ek and Columbus†goaltender Elvis Merzlikins occurred in the white ice and, therefore, did not constitute goaltender interference.”

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The result: On the ensuing penalty kill, the Blue Jackets took another penalty for delay of game when Erik Gudbranson shot the puck over the glass, so the Wild got a 5-on-3 advantage. Though Columbus did kill off the penalty they got for the coach’s challenge, Minnesota scored a goal before the Blue Jackets could get the returning player into the defensive end. This tied the game 2-2. Later in the period Columbus took the lead back and went on to win 7-4.

*Thursday, Oct. 9: Columbus at Nashville

The situation:In the final seconds of the second period, Columbus gains possession from an offensive zone faceoff and gets the puck to the point. Winger Mathieu Olivier goes to the front of the net to screen Predators goalie Juuse Saros, when a shot comes in from Damon Severson. Saros, who is in the crease, makes the initial save, but Olivier bangs in the rebound. Olivier’s skates appear to be in and out of the blue paint, and he makes contact with Saros as Severson’s shot arrives.

The call on the ice was a goal, which gave Columbus a 2-1 lead. But Nashville’s bench decided to challenge the play for goalie interference.

The ruling: The call on the ice was overturned and the Columbus goal did not stand.

Via the NHL: “Video review determined Columbus†Mathieu Oliver made contact in the crease with goaltender Juuse Saros that impaired his ability to play his position prior to the goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.1, which states in part, ‘Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeperâ€s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal.‘”

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The result: The two teams went into the second intermission tied. Less than three minutes into the third period, Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly scored a power play goal that stood as the game-winner. The Predators won the game 2-1.

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(Photo: Marc DesRosiers, Imagn Images)

In his first ever AHL game, this recently traded former Philadelphia Flyers goalie earned an impressive shutout.

On Friday night, in the head-scratching absence of NHL hockey, the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliates of the Columbus Blue Jackets, faced the Utica Comets in their first regular season game of the year.

Ivan Fedotov, who was traded to the Blue Jackets by the Flyers on Sept. 14, started for the Monsters against the Comets, out-dueling top New Jersey Devils goalie prospect Nico Daws, making 21 saves in a 1-0 victory.

Fedotov’s 21-save shutout is his first professional shutout since Feb. 26, 2024, when he made 38 saves in a 4-0 win against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Gagarin Cup playoffs while playing for CSKA Moskva.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Quietly Dominating NHL Preseason
Ex-Flyers Goalie Quietly Dominating NHL Preseason
It may only be two games of NHL preseason action, but this former Philadelphia Flyers goalie has been dominant in limited ice time.

As for the Flyers, they’re content with the 2026 sixth-round pick and the cap space they received for trading Fedotov, as much as they would have liked things to work out differently on the ice.

Heading into 2025-26, the Flyers and the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms will boast a goalie depth of Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason – two prospects younger than Fedotov who needed the playing time more.

While the NHL wasn’t always his speed, Fedotov, 28, is off to a flying start to life in the AHL. With time and adjustments, it’s certainly still possible the 6-foot-7 netminder can put the pieces together and grow into a serviceable NHL goalie.

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VANCOUVER — As the Vancouver Canucks embark on a new season in search of at least 10 more points than they had last year, goalie Thatcher Demko playing 53 games instead of 23 is a pretty good place to start looking.

His year shortened and hollowed by a series of injuries, Demko did not play last season until Game 27 for the Canucks. In December.

On Thursday, he was ready for Game 1. Demko stopped 17 of 18 shots, including a couple of breakaway saves, and kept the Calgary Flames scoreless until the Canucks found their game in the third period and pumped four goals past Dustin Wolf to win 5-1 at Rogers Arena.

After last seasonâ€s chaos for the Canucks and a disappointing 90-point finish that left them out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game 1 felt like something more than just the first of 82 tests. But it was especially significant for Demko, the 2024 Vezina Trophy runner-up, who spent much of last year trying to solve a knee injury that delayed his start and undermined his performance.

Demko played only 23 times. Thirty more games for him this season would surely be worth at least another five wins.

“Felt pretty good even this morning,†Demko told reporters after the game. “You know, just excited to be here. So yeah, I felt good all day, just kind of waiting around, wanting to get to the rink and get the gear on.

“I think the first game is huge … just kind of keeping the momentum building (from the pre-season). And especially (with) the turnover that we had from last year in our room and our coaching staff, too, it’s a testament to the work that everyone kind of put in in the summer and then through camp. Obviously, 81 left.â€

“Demmer playing always helps,†Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers smiled when asked about the potential for 53 games for their all-star goalkeeper instead of 23. “You know, he’s a world-class goalie, and he always has been since I’ve been here. So for him to be feeling the way he is, it’s really encouraging for our group. He’s incredible. It’s great having him behind us.â€

It was great on Thursday that top centre Elias Pettersson, another player vital to a rebound season in Vancouver, emerged unscathed from a dangerous second-period boarding by Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar.

It was great that elegant second-line centre Filip Chytil, who said before training camp that he needed to score more — “not just play nice hockey; nobody cares about that†— cracked open a nervy game by scoring twice in six minutes early in the second period, making it 3-0 on a beautiful breakaway at 8:53 after he partially blocked a shot and then took Arshdeep Bains†pass behind the Calgary defence.

Probably what was greatest for the Canucks is that the team, so harmonious and re-energized after a positive pre-season, overcame a jittery first half without surrendering any goals by eventually just taking the game away from the Flames in the third period.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, from Evander Kaneâ€s centring pass, and Brock Boeser also zipped pucks past Wolf, last seasonâ€s Calder Trophy finalist, who had to start this season by playing twice in 25 hours.

Canuck Kiefer Sherwood scored the only goal of the first two periods by surprising Wolf with a heavy wrist shot from the right-wing circle that got on top of the goalie in a hurry at 14:53 of the first.

“Yeah, it’s a good feeling,†Myers said. “At the same time, we know there’s a lot more. First game, whether it’s a little bit of nerves or whatever it was, there’s definitely more. But we did a lot of good things, too.â€

“We talked about it; it’s not always going to be perfect,†Pettersson said. “But I think we stuck with it. So, yeah, happy with the win. I mean, I think it builds character (when) we find a way to win even though it wasn’t our best.â€

It was a game with pre-season execution at the start, but it quickly escalated to mid-season intensity with a pair of boarding calls early in the second.

Just 20 seconds into the middle frame, Weegar caught Pettersson off-balance with a shoulder check, launching the most expensive player in Canucks history head-first into the boards.

But in a nearly-identical hit at 4:33, Vancouverâ€s other Elias Pettersson, the second-year defenceman known as “Junior,†catapulted Flame Connor Zary into the boards with a borderline hit.

In both cases, referees Francis Charron and Tom Chmielewski wisely called major boarding penalties initially, which allowed them to review the checks. The punishments to Weegar and Pettersson Junior were downgraded to two-minute minors.

They looked like the correct calls as neither hit was delivered with malice. But the adjudication did little to satisfy either team on the receiving end.

Fortunately, both Zary and the original Pettersson stayed in the game after getting medical attention.

“I’m okay,†Pettersson said. “I saw the replay. I don’t think it’s a dirty hit, just bad timing. I drop (the puck) to Brock, and itâ€s a bad drop, so I reach for the puck, and then he pushed me. I think I took the impact a little bit with my arm, but I landed sideways. I feel a little bit in my neck, but it’s fine.â€

Pettersson expects to play Saturday when the Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers, still perfect at 1-0 after an imperfect but gritty opener.

The Canucks power play, so cohesive and dangerous through the pre-season, struggled to generate quality chances against the Flames. The first unit was especially untidy. But Vancouverâ€s penalty killing, which led the NHL over the final two-thirds of last season, blanked Calgaryâ€s power play on four chances spanning eight minutes.

During one critical kill in the second period, with the Canucks clinging to their 1-0 lead, Bains blocked a pair of heavy one-timers by Flame Matt Coronato.

“Big boy blocks,†Demko said of Bains, who won a roster spot during the pre-season. “I gave him a pat right when we got in the room here in the second intermission, and I think everyone else did, too. I mean, those are huge blocks, especially at that point. One-goal game, and they’re looking to tie it up on the power play, and he steps up and makes two huge plays for us. He’s a really smart guy, a lot of hockey IQ, and obviously that’s why he’s out there on the PK.â€

The Canucks finished with 19 blocks, 11 more than the Flames. Vancouver was outhit 36-27.

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser

Oâ€Connor-Raty-Sherwood

Forbort-Pettersson (Junior)

Blueger, Karlsson, Mancini

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The Buffalo Sabres embark on their 2025-26 regular season on Thursday against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center with a certain amount of uncertainty between the pipes, as veteran Alex Lyon will step in for injured starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The lower-body issues that Luukkonen suffered before training camp and during the Sabres preseason home finale last week has his status in limbo, which means that head coach Lindy Ruff will lean heavily on Lyon in the month of October.

The Sabres are hoping to seize on a home-heavy schedule in October, as they start the campaign with six of their first eight games at KBC, and only one back-to-back contest. Lyon has carried the ball before in the American Hockey League, but could never earn a starterâ€s role in Philadelphia, where he spent four seasons. The 32-year-old played down the stretch for Florida three years ago, helping the Panthers win the final Eastern Conference playoff spot by a point over the Sabres.

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Lyon turned that opportunity into a two-year deal with Detroit, where he was the primary starter in 2024 and split duties with Cam Talbot last season. The signing with Buffalo gave the Sabres a capable Plan B in case Luukkonen regressed as he did last season, since the Sabres clearly do not want to continue to recall and demote Devon Levi multiple times and allow him to develop in AHL Rochester.

The interesting note is that tonight the Sabres will have a different goalie starting the season opener for the fourth straight season. In 2022-23, veteran Craig Anderson started and the Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1. In 2023, 22-year-old Devon Levi was given the net to start the season and lost three of first four starts, including the opener to the Rangers 5-1. Last season, after playing well in the second-half of 2024, Luukkonen started the opener of the Global Series in Prague, losing 4-1 to the Devils.

There is a great deal of pressure on the Sabres to get off to a good start and a lot of that will depend on Buffalo playing better defensively, which has been the mantra of training camp, and Lyon being up to the task of being the starter while Luukkonen is out of action.

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SUNRISE, Fla. — Fans of the Florida Panthers cheered the Stanley Cup. Cheered the banner going to the rafters. Cheered the return of the back-to-back NHL champions.

And cheered the opposing goaltender.

Yes, some Panthers fans still shout “Knight†during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner†before each game, even though Spencer Knight — the former Florida goalie whose name is on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2023-24 championship squad — no longer plays for the team. Knight was traded to Chicago last season and started against the Panthers in the season opener for both teams.

Knight made 34 saves, but Florida won 3-2.

“Honestly, I didnâ€t know if they still did or not, but thatâ€s cool,†Knight said in advance of the game. “And again, I think that goes through, top to bottom, the whole community around here, the people. Everyone was just very nice, kind and very appreciative. So, Iâ€m really thankful that I was able to start here. And I hope that I gave some people good memories.â€

The Panthers gave Knight a video tribute at the first TV timeout of the first period. Many of the Blackhawks looked up to watch, and when it was over Knight gave the fans a wave as many in the crowd rose for a standing ovation.

“I was playing the game,†Knight said. “I saluted the crowd, but I was there to play hockey.â€

The Panthers took Knight, the onetime Boston College star, with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He went 44-25-7 in parts of four seasons with Florida, plus 1-1 in a pair of playoff starts he got in 2021.

He was the primary piece that the Panthers gave up in a trade last season that brought defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago to Florida. Knight went 5-8-2 in 15 games with the Blackhawks after the trade last season.

“Itâ€s a special little connection there,†Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of seeing Knight again. “For me, as a player, it was always his explosiveness. Heâ€s just an incredible athlete. And his ability to get from one side of the net to the other under control with strength … I think heâ€s going to be a great goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks for a lot of years.â€

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