George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — Spencer Knight did not play a game for the Florida Panthers last season, instead, spending the entirety playing with the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League.
When their season ended with a loss to Hartford in the playoffs, Knight joined the Panthers for the duration of their run to the Stanley Cup.
Although he did not dress for a game, he was Florida’s No. 3 goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.
He practiced with the team every day, traveled with them to Boston, New York, and Edmonton during the playoffs.
And, when coach Paul Maurice finally got a chance to hold the Stanley Cup — it was Spencer Knight who handed it to him.
Maurice, interrupted during an interview with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan when Knight skated over with the Cup, whispered something into his ear and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“For me, I am more happy for all the guys who are here enjoying this,’’ Knight said that early morning in Sunrise.
“All the guys who played, all the extra guys, the equipment guys, the coaches. They were here all year long, and I am just glad I got the chance to support them in any way I could. I am just so happy for all of them. This is so cool just to be able to see all of their hard work pay off.’’
Knight was not with the Panthers last year when they made their run to the Stanley Cup Final, leaving the team in February to join the league’s player assistance program to get help with OCD.
He rejoined the Panthers in July, appealing to the NHL to be allowed to take part in the team’s development camp in an effort to just get back on the ice and resume his career.
Florida had planned on Knight spending much of the year in Charlotte, to get a chance to be the starting goalie again and just go through the process of working through the game once more.
Both Bobrovsky and Stolarz remained relatively healthy throughout the season, so, Knight stayed in Charlotte.
It was, by all accounts, a good year for him in many ways.
“I have coached in the American Hockey League for a long time,’’ Charlotte coach Geordie Kinnear told FHN, “and every player I have seen take a big step forward had to go through some sort of adversity. It is just part of development. That part was great for Spencer. He went out and played, found a love of the game.
“When you have fun, you are the best version of yourself. Last year was outstanding for Spencer. We had a tight team, and we had players who will play for the Panthers and there are relationships. Coaching Spencer was a joy for me. There were challenges along the way, but that’s where growth happens.’’
Knight, of course, was not supposed to be back in the AHL at 22 — not after the start he had with the Panthers.
Florida’s first-round pick in 2019, Knight left Boston College in 2021 and ended up starting — and winning — playoff games for the Panthers that year.
He was with the Panthers in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, seemingly winning the starting net from Bobrovsky on a couple of occasions.
But last year seems beneficial to both Knight and the Panthers.
“My confidence in Spencer,’’ Bill Zito said, “has never wavered.”
Florida signed Stolarz to backup Bobrovsky last July; this year, the Panthers brought in Chris Driedger but Knight is expected to be with Florida this coming season.
He will challenge Bobrovsky and, in turn, Bobrovsky will challenge him.
Knight’s road back to the Panthers may have been a winding one, and there were some potholes along the way, but he appears back at his destination.
His name may not be on the Stanley Cup, but Knight saw the Panthers do what they did with the best seat in the house.
“This is so cool so see all the hard work pay off, and for me, this is motivating,’’ Knight said. “You see how much work it takes, what you have to do to get here. It’s a lot. It is a long way to the top, but it is worth it.
“I got to practice with the guys, I would do whatever they wanted me to do. I knew my role. I was a small piece of this, but it was very cool.’’