Anthony Duclair Excited to Play the Panthers Tonight Following Trade

SUNRISE — Just days after ending his foundation’s first hockey camp in South Florida, Anthony Duclair found out the Florida Panthers were trading him to the San Jose Sharks.

“There were rumors before and you try not to look into it too much,” Duclair said.

“But for myself, getting traded was not the best feeling because I built so many relationships down here. With my teammates, with the community, the fans. But at the same time, I went to a great opportunity.”

In his three years with the Panthers, Duclair became a staple in the South Florida hockey community.

He launched the Anthony Duclair Foundation with the goal to reach out to children who have experienced racism in their lives and to help them overcome it.

The relationships Duclair built in the process helped him become a role model for many, which will make his first game against the Panthers tonight a bittersweet moment.