Florida Panthers prospect Vilho Vanhatalo lit the lamp in Tappara’s 6-3 win over HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in opening day action from the 2026-27 Champions Hockey League. The game was played at Nokia Arena in Tampere. It was the 18-year-old’s first top-flight goal and came with Tappara up a man.
You can check out the nasty power-play snipe here: https://x.com/ScoutWithAnni/status/2095562340351549603
The Panthers were ranked first in Sportsnet’s Top 10 teams most likely to make the playoffs after missing last year article. Justin Arenburg had this to say about the Cats:
Sorry, but come on, this one is too obvious. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final three straight years, including winning two in a row, the Florida Panthers’ core either ran out of gas or got injured during last season. Before the season even began they lost their captain Aleksander Barkov to a torn ACL during a practice session. As a result, the team missed the playoffs. But there’s always a silver lining, right? Well for the Panthers, they had two silver linings. First, everyone got a full off-season to recover. Second, they ended up with a top 10 pick in the draft. And we all know who that pick helped bring to Florida — Brady Tkachuk, now paired with his brother Matthew. It’s not only Brady though, the Panthers also traded for Jacob Markstrom, Radko Gudas and Garnet Hathaway. This team won’t just make the playoffs in 2026-27, the have the potential to win the Atlantic Division and the Prince of Wales Trophy, before capping it off with their third Stanley Cup in four years.
The Athletic’s Ranking the NHL’s top 20 Calder Trophy candidates for the 2026-27 season article had Sandis Vilmanis at number 19. Here’s what Corey Pronman had to say about the Cats prospect:
Vilmanis had a very positive season last year, showing quite well in the AHL, playing for Latvia’s senior team and earning extended looks with Florida. He’s a fast, competitive winger who contributes effectively at both ends. He wins puck battles and consistently puts himself around the play. Though he lacks high-end creativity, he attacks in a direct, translatable manner. He should push for a bottom-six spot even in a loaded Panthers lineup.
Amazon’s Prime Video has unveiled the schedule for its first season of Wednesday Night Hockey and Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa with the Panthers on October 21 will be featured in the 27-game package for Canadian viewers.