The Florida Panthers may be on a team building exercise at West Point, but that doesn’t stop the business of hockey as we rapidly approach the beginning of the regular season.
The club has announced that Willie Mitchell is the new team captain. Scottie Upshall and Dave Bolland will sport A’s for home games, while Derek MacKenzie and Brian Campbell will be the assistant captains when the Cats are on the road.
JUST ANNOUNCED: The eighth captain in #FlaPanthers History– @Willie_Mitch33 http://t.co/R1ivRDBjad pic.twitter.com/Cq0xf0KMEi
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 6, 2014
That’s not all of today’s news. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Florida has finally come to terms with defenseman Shane O’Brien, who was in camp on a PTO. The deal is of the one-year, two-way variety and O’Brien has been placed on waivers, as the club is sending him to San Antonio to start the season. This means that youngster Colby Robak has made the team. Expect to see O’Brien back if Robak struggles or rookie Aaron Ekblad is sent back to the OHL if his nine game audition doesn’t turn out so well.
FLA signs Shane O’Brien to one-year, two-way deal and put him on waivers in order to be assigned to AHL.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 6, 2014
Update: And there’s more! The Cats made a minor league move this afternoon, trading veteran forward Joey Crabb to the New York Rangers for South Florida native Andrew Yogan and 26-year-old defenseman Steven Kampfer.
.@nyrangers acquire F Joey Crabb from the @flapanthers in exchange for D Steven Kampfer & F Andrew Yogan → http://t.co/z7FKnR2ZrZ.
— AHL (@TheAHL) October 6, 2014