‘It’s just hockey’ to Florida Panthers rookie Spencer Knight

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Florida Panthers rookie goalie (yeah, he’s still a rookie) Spencer Knight said when he takes the ice for a game it doesn’t matter if it’s an exhibition, rookie tournament or the Stanley Cup playoffs.

As Knight said numerous times last season, “it’s just hockey.”

Nothing seems to affect him.

Knight started his first ‘game’ for the Panthers Saturday since Game 6 against the Lightning a few miles down the road back in April.

Playing in the Lightning’s Prospect Showcase at the new Center Ice facility north of Tampa, Knight looked a lot like he did with the Panthers last season.

Although he gave up three goals (two off power plays) in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Knight looked sharp throughout the game and helped keep Florida’s team of youngsters in it with 39 saves.

The result, when it comes to these kinds of things, does not matter.

In a few weeks, it will take Google searches to recall the scores.

For Knight, the work was what was important.

As it should be.

On Saturday, Knight was challenged.

He was, as he said afterward, put in “uncomfortable situations.”

Florida was shorthanded for large swaths of the second and third periods. Carolina’s prospects took shots from all over the place.

Knight was happy just to slip the Florida game sweater on, get back into some game action and do his thing.

With training camp opening up later this week — Knight will be on the ice with the rest of the Panthers on Thursday — a day like Saturday can only help his preparation for what is to come.

• Stream Sunday’s game: Florida Panthers vs. Nashville Predators, 10 a.m.

“I think it was awesome. It was a back-and-forth game, a lot of penalty kills and sometimes it’s fun to get into those types of situations especially before the season,” Knight said.

“Sometimes you get uncomfortable and I think that’s very important. … I think this is great, playing games before anything starts. I can’t stand just practicing all the time. I like to play games. That’s what hockey is.”

When Knight first arrived on the scene with the Panthers last spring, his calm demeanor and preparation reminded his new teammates of a player much older.

Knight, 20, has been preparing for an NHL career for years.

Players and coaches who were with him from the U.S. Development team to Boston College noticed Knight was different and so, too, did the Panthers.

After Florida’s season ended with that Game 6 loss to the Lightning, Knight headed home to Connecticut where his offseason regimen got him ready for what’s next in Sunrise.

When camp opens Thursday, he will not battling for a spot on the Panthers but for playing time with incumbent starter Sergei Bobrovsky.

None of that seems to faze Knight. It’s just hockey after all.

“I come to the rink and just play,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 a.m. or 7 p.m., in the NHL, the AHL, college, whatever it is. The rookie tournament. It’s all the same to me. I’m wearing the jersey and doing the same stuff. Forget the fact this is a rookie tournament or this-or-that. I think that’s a good mindset to have. No matter when you come to the rink, you’re here to have fun and work hard regardless of the scenario.”

Aside from defenseman Matt Kiersted, no one on this Florida development camp team has more NHL experience than Knight — and it has shown so far.

Knight has looked terrific in workouts (his former Boston College teammate Logan Hutsko called him “a wall”) with Florida prospect Justin Sourdif signing his praises on Saturday.

“It is really hard to score on him,” Sourdif said. “I think I have scored on him twice, maybe, in four or five days of practices. He’s definitely going to be an an excellent goaltender in the NHL and I look forward to seeing him play.  He’s a pro. The way he treats practices, at the rink, on the bus. You see how focused he is. I have never seen a goalie that calm handling the puck behind the net.”

Geordie Kinnear, the coach of Florida’s AHL team in Charlotte, has been around dozens of young goalies in his career and said that Knight is already ahead of the game.

Six months ago, one would have thought Kinnear would have the chance to coach Knight in Charlotte at least for a little while.

That doesn’t appear to be the case now, not after how Knight handled his stay with the Panthers at the end of the 2021 season.

“He is so even-keel, never too high or too low,” Kinnear said. “Last year in the playoffs (Game 5), that early goal went in and it didn’t change his game at all. …

“Being even-keel is a special character trait to have and he shows that all the time. His preparation is unbelievable. … Sometimes you work with kids when it comes to preparing but he is way ahead of the curve on that.”

Florida Panthers Prospect Showcase roster

Forwards

91- Eric Alarie, 85- Karch Bachman, 41- Henry Bowlby, 14- Grigori Denisenko, 89- Logan Hutsko, 15- Anton Lundell, 54- Justin Nachbaur, 18- Serron Noel, 78- Simon Pinard, 79- Cole Schwindt, 24- Justin Sourdif, 75- Connor Trenholm, 84- Trevor Wong.  

Defensemen 

47- Frédéric Brunet, 38- Robert Calisti, 88- Max Gildon, 6- Braden Hache, 8- Matt Kiersted, 36- Jacob LeGuerrier, 53- John Ludvig, 12- Evan Nause.

Goaltenders 

60- Olivier Adam, 39- Tye Austin, 30- Spencer Knight 

Prospect Showcase schedule

At AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel