Here’s why the Florida Panthers actually like the early start times against the Islanders
The Florida Panthers will have to be ready to go pretty much as soon as they wake up once they get to Toronto for the qualifying round of the NHL’s expanded postseason.
The Panthers’ first three games against the New York Islanders are slated to start at 4 p.m. or earlier, including a pair of noon starts in the best-of-5 series.
Games starting in the early afternoon aren’t unheard of in hockey, but usually it happens just a handful of times throughout a season. Next month, Florida will start at noon on back-to-back days and the Panthers actually like the idea.
“Obviously, the first game at 12, probably the ice is going to be a little better,” All-Star left wing Jonathan Huberdeau said. “I feel when you get to the games at night it’s going to be a little harder. Everybody skated all day on it. The game doesn’t change. I think we’ve experienced it. You just wake up, you go straight there — I like it — and 4 o’clock you do the same thing. You can sleep in and after a big win you can have a nice dinner.”
Florida will open the postseason on the first day of August at 4 p.m., the NHL announced Tuesday. After two days off, the Panthers will play back-to-back days at noon against the Islanders at Scotiabank Arena. Start times for Games 4 and 5, if necessary, have not yet been announced. Even their July 29 exhibition against the Tampa Bay Lightning is slated to start at noon.
Coincidentally, the noon starts actually fit in with the routine Florida has carved out for itself so far in July. The first three days of postseason training camp all started at 11 a.m. at the Florida Panthers IceDen and coach Joel Quenneville said players were out on the ice at the same time when they were participating in Phase 2’s small group workouts in Coral Springs.
Florida might not get prime-time exposure in Canada, but it will be ready to play.
“Over the course of the season, you’re going to have some afternoon games, you’re going to have some late games and in the playoffs we always find that we had some 8:30, you had some early afternoon games — it usually covered the whole spectrum as you get through it,” Quenneville said. “I think we’re fine. I don’t mind playing afternoon games. At least those early games at 12 o’clock, you know they’re going to start on time, so that’ll be a factor. The guys will do whatever they can.
Everything’s not going to be the perfect setting. ... We’ll deal with it, we’ll roll with it and guys have been great so far adapting to the new world we have around us, and when we get to the hub city we’ll be going to do what we have to do to be ready to play.”
First-rounder to join Panthers next season
The Panthers’ first-round pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft will finally join the team next season.
Florida reached an agreement Wednesday with Grigori Denisenko for the forward to join the Panthers at the start of next season on a a three-year, entry-level contract beginning. The 20-year-old, who signed a contract with Florida in May, spent this season playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, the top league in Russia. He spent the prior season playing in Russia’s Junior Hockey League and the Supreme Hockey League, the country’s second-tier league.
“We are thrilled to officially sign Grigori to an entry-level deal for the upcoming 2020-21 season,” general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. “He is a highly skilled and hard-working young player who has a bright future in our organization. Although he will be ineligible to play games for us during the 2020 postseason, we look forward to having him challenge for a position on the Panthers roster next season.”
In 38 regular season games for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv this season, Denisenko scored six goals and handed out six assists. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound prospect also scored one goal in six postseason games. Denisenko also served as a captain for Russia at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, leading the national team with nine points — three goals and six assists — in seven games on the way to a silver medal. He also led Russia to a bronze medal at the 2019 World Junior Championships, leading the entire tournament with nine points — four goals and five assists — in seven games.
Denisenko is not eligible to participate in the expanded postseason. Players who sign a new contract for the current season are eligible to participate in training camps and to travel to the bubble, but are not eligible to play in the postseason, according to a deal between the NHL and NHL Players Association.
Quenneville said the team does not plan to bring Denisenko to North America to practice with the team.
“Organizationally, everyone’s excited and thrilled that he is coming here and we’re looking forward to seeing him as he progresses in the next year, but he has a lot of promise,” Quenneville said. “You don’t want to use the word ‘wow’ until he gets here and we see him, but there is a lot we liked from afar.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
