Florida Panthers Bring Big Boys to Quebec City for Preseason Finale

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice is treating tonight’s preseason finale in Quebec City against the Los Angeles Kings as a dry run for the season opener which is Tuesday night in Sunrise.

Aside from Sam Bennett, A.J. Greer, and Gus Forsling, the Panthers will play their Opening Night lineup against the Kings.

Sergei Bobrovsky will not only start, but play the entirety of the day.

“The exhibition season, when you get to the end of it, everyone is ready for the start of the regular season,” Maurice said. “There will be an energy in the building tonight that will make the exhibition game much more fun to play. It will be a lot more meaningful for us. We’ll get to see a game played at a higher level. We still have two or three kids who have had great camps, but it is so hard to assess exhibition games sometimes. This will be good for them and for us.’’

This will be the Panthers first appearance in Quebec City since March 20, 1995, when they lost 5-4 to the Quebec Nordiques in overtime.

The Nordiques moved to Denver following the end of that season and became the Colorado Avalanche — and beat the Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

Quebec City has been trying to get an NHL team ever since.

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The Panthers will play the Kings in the relatively new Videotron Center, a 18,259-seat venue which is NHL ready and opened in 2015.

“It’s always great coming up to play a game in Canada,” said Maurice, who first went behind the Hartford Whalers bench in 1995 — after the Nordiques had moved. “We’re fortunate it is our last exhibition game — and it’s good for the people here because, that’s our lineup. … It’s as close to an NHL game which will be played here this year and it is a great venue for it. Love the town, nice to be part of something you know the people appreciate so much.”

The Kings brought training camp to Quebec City in a taxpayer-funded deal which has drawn criticism in the province.

For the Panthers, it is simply a chance to visit a city many of them have not been to since they were kids and traveled to the famed Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.

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“It’s a really cool city, lot of great support here,” said Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, who was greeted at Saturday’s morning skate by a number of youngsters wearing his jersey.

“We flew in yesterday, hung out, and went to dinner. There is a lot of energy and buzz for these games. There is a lot of passion for hockey here. It is a really cool place to play a game.”

— Florida forward Will Lockwood was not claimed off waivers on Saturday and will headed to Charlotte Checkers camp.

Defenseman Matt Kiersted was waived on Saturday — meaning Florida’s top 7 is set with Uvis Balinskis.

— The Panthers will fly back to South Florida on Sunday and return to practice on Monday morning before the team’s ring ceremony at Amerant Bank Arena later that night.

PANTHERS (PRESEASON) ON DECK

FLORIDA PANTHERS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS

• When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Videotron Center, Quebec City
• Streaming: LA Kings Website
• Last Season (Kings Won 1-0-1) — At Los Angeles: Kings 2, Panthers 1 (Nov. 17). At Florida: Panthers 3, Kings 2 OT (Jan. 11)
• All-time Regular Season Series: Los Angeles leads 26-14-1, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers — END OF PRESEASON
• 2024-25 NHL Season Opener: Boston Bruins at Florida, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

KEY DATES FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

• Florida Panthers Preseason: Through Saturday
• Florida Panthers Ring Ceremony, Sunrise: Monday, 6:30 p.m.
• Florida Panthers Opening Night/Banner Unveiling: Tuesday vs. Bruins (ESPN), 7:30