Florida Panthers Training Camp: The Kids Are Alright

SUNRISE — If Sunday’s preseason action was the last for Florida Panthers prospects Gracyn Sawchyn and Hunter St. Martin, well, they went out with a bang.

St. Martin has had one heck of a run with the Panthers over the past two weeks which started with the rookie showcase in Nashville and may have come to a close in Sunday’s first exhibition game agains the Predators at Amerant Bank Arena.

After scoring three goals in three games in the Rookie Showcase hosted by the Predators, St, Martin scored a goal off a pass from Sawchyn to give Florida a 2-0 lead in an eventual 3-2 win.

“He had a good rookie practice, and after the draft, I didn’t see those guys at development camp so my first time seeing them was in the practice before the rookie tournament,’ Florida coach Paul Maurice said Sunday night.

“He was good there. I thought he had a really good rookie tournament. What I like about he and Sawchyn — they are very young guys and junior eligible — is that the physical cost would be greatest on those two. They are still young; every year, their tanks get bigger, they get so much stronger physically. I thought those guys were able to get through three days of camp and then come out and play with some energy. That’s a good sign. They did tons of good work to survive our camp.”

A sixth-round pick back on June 29, St. Martin was the lone 2024 draft pick to participate either in the Rookie Showcase or the start of training camp as Florida’s other selections stayed back either in Sweden or Russia.

St. Martin made the most of his trip from Edmonton to South Florida.

The Latest News on the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers

Each and Every Day

Subscribe to Florida Hockey Now, Today!

“This is really exciting. You put in the work all summer … to show what I can do here,” St. Martin said when rookie camp started.

“I want to show that I can play at this level, play against pro guys and more experienced guys. It should be a great experience. You want to soak it all in, go all out on the ice and play oyur best game. Off the ice, you get information from the coaches and guys who have been here a few years, just learn and grow in my development.’’

His play, and success on the ice, should be beneficial to him once he is returned to his junior team — the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League — which already started its season.

The Tigers won their season-opener with a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night.

Sawchyn, Florida’s second-round pick in 2023, is one of the star players for those Oil Kings.

“It was pretty exciting,” St. Martin said following Sunday’s win. “It may be preseason, but to be out there with the fans — and there were a lot more than I thought there would be — it was just a great atmosphere. I thought it was a great experience. It was a lot faster than the rookie showcase, I got a little taste. It was a lot of fun. This gives me a little confidence, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s all about getting a little bit better every day. It has gotten me where I am right now, and I will only continue to build off of that.”

• What We Learned from Florida’s Game 2 Win Against Nashville

The Panthers have high hopes for Sawchyn moving forward as this should be his final season of junior hockey with the Oil Kings.

Sawchyn will turn 20 in January and already got some experience with the Charlotte Checkers last spring following the end of the Oil Kings’ season.

He will probably join Charlotte again at the end of this season and come to camp next year to start his professional career.

Last year at training camp, the Panthers rewarded him for a strong Showcase showing by putting him up with Sam Reinhart.

Although Sawchyn still needs to get stronger, his fearless attitude both at the junior level and with the big guys in South Florida has been noticed.

“He (gets) his body in there and that’s great for someone that age and that size,” Reinhart said last year.

“Obviously, he is going to continue to get bigger, but the most important thing is that he is not shying away; he is initiating that contact. And that is going to help him learn, that is going to motivate him to continue working off the ice.”

PRESEASON ON DECK

FLORIDA PANTHERS vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING @ ORLANDO

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Kia Center, Orlando 
• Streaming ONLY: Tampa Bay Lightning Website
• Radio: None
• 2023-24 Regular Season Series (Panthers Won 2-1) — At Tampa Bay: Panthers 3, Lightning 2 (Dec. 27); Panthers 9, Lightning 2 (Feb. 17). At Florida: Lightning 5, Panthers 3 (March 16).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 77-51-19, 10 ties
• All-Time Postgame Series: Lightning Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.
• Up Next for the Panthers: Friday at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (Scripps TV 39/9/36.3; Panthers+)

More FHN Coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Panthers:

• Like our Facebook Page
• Follow us on Twitter: @GeorgeRichards // @TheGovMan
• Subscribe to the FHN YouTube Channel
• Visit the FHN Cup Champions Team Shop at RedBubble

KEY DATES FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

• Training Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Opened Thursday
• Florida Panthers Preseason: Sunday-Oct. 5
• Florida Panthers Opening Night/Banner Unveiling: Oct. 8 vs. Bruins (ESPN)