George Richards, FHN Publisher
When the Florida Panthers made Spencer Knight their top pick of the 2019 NHL Draft it definitely raised some eyebrows.
With Florida hot on the tail of free agent netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, did the drafting of Knight mean the Panthers were no longer interested in Bobrovsky?
They most definitely were.
Days after drafting Knight, the Panthers signed Bobrovsky to the richest contract in franchise history, a seven-year deal worth $70 million.
Soon, Knight and Bobrovsky will become teammates.
On Wednesday, the Panthers announced that it had signed Knight — one of the top junior goalie prospects in recent memory — to a three-year entry level deal.
Knight is leaving Boston College after two seasons.
As his career with the Eagles ends, it begins with the Panthers.
Knight and Bobrovsky will be linked together for some time.
”It’s going to be cool. I really admire his game, the way he plays,” Knight said Wednesday afternoon. “I think technically, he is one of the best goalies in the league. For me, to be so young and have a mentor like that … I am looking forward to it and hopefully will learn a lot.”
Knight said Wednesday afternoon that he would be flying to Florida and would join the Panthers in the coming days.
The assumption is Knight will be added to the team’s taxi squad allowing him to work with the team and, in the final weeks of the season, perhaps even make his NHL debut.
“I am going down to Florida, but that’s as far as I really know as how my situation will be mapped out,’’ Knight said. “For me, whatever tasks I am given I will be positive, I am ready to go. For me, going to Florida and seeing what it is all about is more than I can ask for.”
Knight, who turns 20 in three weeks, has been a standout for Team USA and Boston College the past couple of seasons, leading the U.S. to the Gold Medal at the most recent World Junior tournament.
In the finale, he squared off against Team Canada’s Devon Levi — coincidentally another Florida prospect. Those two, down the road, may be teammates as well.
“To me, this doesn’t even seem real yet,” Knight said in a video conference. “I remember growing up watching the NHL from 4, 5-years-old and it seemed like a far-off Fantasyland sometimes.
“I don’t realize what I am doing right now but once I get there, see who is around me it will be pretty cool to take it all in. … It is going to be pretty cool, very unique. It doesn’t seem real and I still think it is some … unreachable goal.
“It is obviously right in front of me, but I’m not going to look too far ahead. I am going to stay in the moment. These are the kinds of moments people look back on and cherish for the rest of their lives. I am going to try and enjoy every single moment of it.”
When Florida made Knight the 13th overall pick two years ago, John Vanbiesbrouck did not mince words with how good Knight could become.
The assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey better known in South Florida as ‘The Beezer,’ Vanbiesbrouck said the Panthers were getting not only a future starter but a goalie who could change the course of the franchise for years to come.
Those days won’t be now, but Knight has star written all over him.
“The Panthers picked a legacy goalie. He is going to be a top-five goalie in the NHL and I have no doubt of that,” said Vanbiesbrouck, who led the Panthers to the 1996 Cup Finals.
“It’s hard to put into words what they got, but he’s a real mature young man who prepares well and I’m ecstatic for him and for the Florida organization. It is a great pick. If this draft wasn’t so deep with talent, he would have gone higher.”
There had been rumblings that Knight may force a trade away from Florida — or stay at BC through his senior year and thereby become a free agent — due to the logjam in net that Bobrovsky’s seven-year contract brought.
But this offseason, the Panthers created a ‘Goalie Excellence Department’ headed up by team executive and future Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo.
The appearance, obviously, was that the Panthers were going to go all out in making sure Knight stays with the organization and develops into the goalie they all hope he can be.
Luongo, incidentally, retired in the days between Florida selecting Knight at the draft and signing Bobrovsky as a free agent.
“It is great to have that many goalie resources,” Knight said. “It will hepl and I think a lot of teams are going to do that. I have talked to Roberto, gosh, he sent me texts all the time, calls me every few weeks. It is nice know they are there for you as a person and it’s not just about the hockey. It is good to have that support system.”
As for the rumors about possibly wanting out of Florida?
“I thought about it,” he said. “When I talked to the management staff they made it clear on what they wanted to do. They said all the right things and it turned out to be a great situation for me. Bill Zito and coach Quenneville, owner Vinnie Viola, are all just tremendous people. I think that’s why I think this was the right decision, signing with Florida.”
Knight leaves Boston College without winning a national championship despite the Eagles being considered one of the top teams in the NCAA ranks during that time.
Last year’s season was cut short due to Covid-19 and this past weekend, BC’s dreams of reaching the Frozen Four were thwarted by a 4-1 loss to St. Cloud State.
Few people would have blamed Knight for going back for another chance at a championship but he said Wednesday he was ready to start the next chapter of his hockey career.
It’s a career which will begin — and the Panthers hope, end — in Sunrise.
“It has obviously been a pretty hectic few days,” said Knight, who ends his collegiate career 39-12-3.
“Today, I decided to make it official and start my pro career. It is definitely a unique feeling, Boston College meant so much to me. But I am joining an organization that is allowing me to pursue my dream. It’s bittersweet but I am definitely motivated and excited to start the next step.
“I took a couple of days to decide, to decompress and frankly, I after I played that last game I thought it was time. The reason I made the decision a week after my last game was so that I could get into the system and continue on for however long the season will last. I am definitely looking forward to having some weeks or months to get used to pro life.”