George Richards, FHN Publisher
CORAL SPRINGS — Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett said he was “upset” by the three-game suspension handed out after a high hit on Montreal’s Cedric Paquette but will be back Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Bennett practiced with the team during the suspension and returned to centering the second line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair on Monday morning.
“I’m definitely excited, it’s tough to sit out and watch the team,” Bennett said. “You really want to be out there trying to help the team win and it’s exciting to be back in the lineup. …
“I feel fresher now, feel great. It would have been nice to play in those games, but I do fresh and good right now and looking forward to playing.”
Bennett had two goals in Florida’s 5-2 win over the Canadiens on Jan. 1 and was not penalized for the hit on Paquette which occurred not long after he gave Florida a 1-0 lead in that game.
The next day, however, the league’s department of player safety put Bennett on ice for three games.
”I was upset with how it turned out but it was out of my control,” Bennett said. “I wasn’t intending to injure anyone or go for his head or anything like that. But it was the league’s decision and that is the way it turned out.”
The first game Bennett missed was what would have been his reunion matchup with his former Calgary Flames teammates.
Florida acquired Bennett from Calgary at last season’s trade deadline for a pair of second round draft picks.
Bennett excelled in his 10 regular season and five playoff games with the Panthers and signed a three-year contract extension in the offseason.
“That’s a game I had pinned on my calendar, a game I was really excited about playing,” Bennett said. “I am excited to be able to play them in about a week.”
Said Andrew Brunette: “It’s very comforting knowing he’s back. We missed him when he is gone, he is such an important part of our team. He was our top center for a while, filled that role. It’s fun to see him there and continue with his line.”
Florida had most of its regulars on the ice Monday.
Bennett said he was fired up to be back with his linemates.
“They’re both playing at an extremely high level right now,” Bennett said of Huberdeau and Duclair.
“They’re having fun, so it’s going to be fun to play with them. We’re all excited. I think we have some good chemistry.”
Sam Reinhart, who missed the past couple of games due to a positive Covid test, replaced Maxim Mamin on the top line with Sasha Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe.
Mamin, who has looked really good playing on that top line, was on the third with Anton Lundell and Frank Vatrano.
If practice lines roll into Tuesday, it looks like Joe Thornton and Owen Tippett would be the forwards out.
Florida also returned defensemen Chase Priskie and Matt Kiersted to AHL Charlotte after calling them up for the taxi squad. Aleksi Heponiemi appears to have earned another night in the lineup.
“I’m extremely fortunate to have the depth we have,” Brunette said. “We have five lines, especially when you have Hepo coming in and playing the way he did.
Marchy is out, (Patric) Hornqvist is out. We have a surplus of depth. We’ve been really lucky this year to have this much depth.’’
The Panthers are coming off a 4-3 overtime win at Carolina and has won five of their six games since returning from the extended holiday break.
Vancouver, meanwhile, is 7-0-1 since Bruce Boudreau took over last month. The Canucks have not played since Jan. 1.