Panthers’ Bobrovsky helps community, hopes for NHL restart amid coronavirus pandemic
When the National Hockey League put its season on an indefinite pause March 12 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s mind went to the employees at the BB&T Center and the medical workers at the front line of containing this virus.
That’s why Bobrovsky pledged a $100,000 donation to pay arena workers while events at the BB&T Center are postponed. His teammates matched his $100,000 donation, and Panthers ownership is chipping in an undisclosed sum to cover the rest of the needed money. Ownership is also paying full-time employees as scheduled during the league’s shutout.
It’s also why Bobrovsky also worked with the Florida Panthers Foundation to donate N95 masks to medical workers in South Florida to protect themselves from COVID-19.
“It’s a tough time for everybody, for the whole world,” Bobrovsky said Tuesday on a conference call. “I just tried to do the right thing for those people, to support them and help a little bit from my side.”
With hockey — and most everything else — in a holding pattern, Bobrovsky is trying to do his part both to help the community and be ready to help the Panthers make a playoff push should the NHL eventually resume its season.
“Everybody is in the same situation,” Bobrovsky said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen or when we’re going to play. We’ll see what’s going to happen.”
‘These are crazy times’
The Panthers were in Dallas preparing to play the Stars when the NBA became the first professional sports league to suspended its season March 11.
The next morning, the NHL canceled practices and morning skates. By the afternoon, the season was officially paused.
“It crept into my mind that these are crazy times,” Bobrovsky said. “It’s bigger than just us. ... It was a little bit crazy. Unbelievable and crazy.”
Bobrovsky, who didn’t play in the team’s final four games before the hiatus because of a lower-body injury, was close to returning to the ice at that point.
Now, he’s working out in his home gym to stay nimble and ready for when the league says the season will continue.
For most hockey players, there are ways to hone skills without being on the ice. For a goalie, keeping timing in check requires someone to compete against, something Bobrovsky doesn’t have at the moment.
“You need somebody to shoot at you,” Bobrovsky said. “You need to see the puck, read the players and stuff like that. At this moment, I don’t have that possibility. I can only build my body to be strong, to be fast, to be quick.”
‘Wasn’t an easy season’
Bobrovsky also would want a final chance to make a statement after a rocky first season with the Panthers after signing a seven-year, $70 million contract last offseason. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner went into the impromptu break allowing a career-worst 3.23 goals per game.
However, the Panthers were still in the thick of the Stanley Cup Playoff race. Florida was three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with 13 games remaining in the regular season when the season was stopped.
“It wasn’t an easy season for me,” Bobrovsky said. “New team, new coach, new surroundings. Everything is new. As far as the team standpoint, we’re fighting for the playoffs. We’re right in the mix. It’s all in our hands. The most important thing is the team success. We have the possibility to get into the playoffs and that’s the really important thing for me.”
But would the Panthers get that opportunity?
The NHL, following guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that limit large gatherings, is still tentatively hoping for a mid-May return to the ice although the exact timing is anything but certain.
There’s the potential that the NHL could go straight into the postseason with the current standings, leaving the Panthers once again on the outside looking in.
“I think it’s not really fair because there were still 12 or 13 games left. It’s a lot of games,” Bobrovsky said. “We’re right in the mix and have the opportunity to be in there. ... I don’t think it’s fair because the season from the sports standpoint is 82 games and then the playoffs. You can’t just cut it off where we are and move right into the playoffs.”
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