Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin has announced his retirement as a television broadcaster for the Florida Panthers. Potvin, a former defenseman for the New York Islanders and four-time Stanley Cup-winner, was part of the Panthers’ original broadcast team in 1993-94 and during two separate stints, spent a total of 21 seasons as their television analyst, including the last five.
Panthers president & CEO Matthew Caldwell had this to say:
“On behalf of the entire Florida Panthers organization, we want to thank Denis for his tremendous contributions to our franchise both as a broadcaster and as an ambassador of hockey in South Florida, A legend of the sport, it has been a privilege for our fans through the years to watch and listen to Denis analyze Panthers games. We wish him a happy retirement from this chapter of his illustrious career.”
All the best to you, Denis!
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In other Panthers-related news, goaltender Spencer Knight is sticking around Plymouth, MI for the rest of the week. Knight made the combined 31-man USA roster at the World Junior Summer Showcase, joining fellow keepers Isaiah Seville and Dustin Wolf. Michigan State’s Drew DeRidder was the odd-man out in the crease. The 18-year-old made 26 saves for USA Blue in a 7-1 win over Finland on Sunday.
Florida’s other American prospect at the showcase, Owen Lindmark did not make the cut. Lindmark appeared in two games for USA Blue and chipped in an assist in the squad’s 4-2 win over Sweden. Up next for the fifth-rounder in 2019 is the University of Wisconsin.
With four games left for the Americans, look for Knight to get at least one more start.
The U.S. will play Canada today at 4 p.m. (HockeyTV). It’s possible Florida’s 2018 second-rounder, Serron Noel, will be in the lineup for the Canadians.
Hockey Headlines
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed 25-year-old goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to an eight-year contract extension worth $76 million. Vasilevskiy is coming off of back-to-back dominant campaigns with the Bolts, both of which saw him earn Vezina Trophy nominations. His effort in 2018-19 netted him the first Vezina win of his career after he posted a .925 save percentage, 2.40 goals-against average and six shutouts. The new deal will kick in starting with the 2020-21 season. (Raw Charge)
The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Nikita Gusev, a star in the KHL, from the cap-strapped Vegas Golden Knights and inked him to a two-year contract worth $9 million. The draft picks going back to Sin City are a third-round pick in 2020 and a second-round selection in 2021. (All About The Jersey) (Knights On Ice)
Alex Meruelo has purchased controlling interest of the Arizona Coyotes from Andrew Barroway, making him the first Hispanic majority owner in NHL history. The deep-pocketed Meruelo will likely give GM John Chayka a bigger budget to work with, but a long-term arena solution is still needed to keep the team in the Phoenix metro area. (Five For Howling)