Florida Panthers Work Magic on Gear of New Goalie Vanecek

FORT LAUDERDALE — Vitek Vanecek is expected to make his first start for the Florida Panthers tonight against Buffalo after being traded here from San Jose on Wednesday.

Thanks to the team’s equipment staff, Vanecek looks like he has been here all season.

How did they get Vanecek a new mask — and white and red pads — so fast?

A little hard work and some creative handiwork, that’s how.

The trick is, Vanecek does not have a new mask or new pads.

Only you will not notice that on the ice tonight.

In the locker room, when the goalie gear is on the floor, you can still see a couple straps on the back of the pads are San Jose teal.

So, too, is the back of Vanecek’s helmet.

The team’s equipment staff basically just took his San Jose gear and Pantherized it.

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Dakota King, the Panthers’ assistant equipment manager, was in charge of cleaning up the pads.

First, he replaced a couple of the teal straps with new white ones, leaving a couple that he could not replace.

King also got some red goalie pad wrap — think specialized duct tape — and carefully taped over the teal stripes on the white pads.

Done.

Try and find the teal: Vitek Vanecek’s pads in Sunrise – and what they looked like in San Jose.

Now, for the helmet.

That job went to Thomas ‘Train’ Anderson.

After taking the mask completely apart, Anderson had special Panthers decals sent overnight from a pal in Rochester, N.Y.

Anderson meticulously used a heat gun and stretched the vinyl decals around Vanecek’s silver-and-teal mask with the white and red decals.

The Panthers’ shield logo is on both sides, Vanecek’s No. 41 on the front.

Sergei Bobrovsky, looking over at the ‘new’ gear, was impressed with how it all came out.

So, too, was Vanecek.

Before and After: Florida Panthers assistant equipment manager Thomas ‘Train’ Anderson turns Vitek Vanecek’s San Jose Sharks mask into something more South Florida friendly.

“It is always important because you want to wear the colors as soon as possible,’’ Vanecek told FHN on Friday.

“I think he did a great job. It’s stickers, because you can’t paint a mask that quickly. [Anderson] has those golden hands, right? If you look real close, you can see it, but from afar, it looks great. It looks really good. He did a great job.’’

The best part is, the decals can be removed so when Vanecek replaces this mask with a permanent one, he can take them off and put his Sharks mask in his collection.

So, when you see Vanecek on the ice for the Panthers tonight, take a good look at his helmet and his pads.

Vanecek is excited to show them off — and show the Panthers what he can do.

“This a really good team, and this is a great opportunity for me,’’ Vanecek said. “The only thing that makes us happy here is winning.’’

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight makes a save on Monday night — wearing his Florida Panthers mask. // AP Photo

Spencer Knight, who was traded from the Panthers to Chicago in the Seth Jones trade last Saturday, got his second win in as many starts for the Blackhawks on Friday night.

He was still wearing his mask with the Panthers logo and palm trees painted on it.

It is a pretty sweet look — even in Chicago.

ON DECK: GAME No. 64

BUFFALO SABRES at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Panthers Won 3-0
• This Season (Tied 1-1) — At Buffalo: Sabres 5, Panthers 2 (Oct. 12); Panthers 5, Sabres 2 (Oct. 28). At Florida: Saturday; April 12.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 58-46-8, 4 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Tuesday at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.