The Florida Panthers General Manager have agreed to terms with top goaltending prospect Spencer Knight on a three-year, entry-level contract.
General manager Bill Zito had this to say:
“We are thrilled to have agreed to terms on a contract with Spencer. He is an immensely talented and dynamic young goaltender who has been an elite player at every level that he has played. From the collegiate ranks to international tournaments, Spencer has consistently elevated his game, a testament to his work ethic, compete and character. We are excited for him to take the next step in his career with the Panthers and look forward to his future with our club.”
Knight, 19, just completed his sophomore season with Boston College this weekend, appearing in 21 games and posting a 16-4-1 record, .932 save percentage, 2.18 goals against average and three shutouts. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound native of Darien, CT, ranked fifth in the nation in save percentage and tied for fifth in wins, the most among sophomore goaltenders.
Named a finalist for the 2021 Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014, Knight was named the 2020-21 Hockey East Goaltender of the Year, Player of the Year and a named a First Team All-Star. Knight was also named a Top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award given annually to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player in the nation.
Knight backstopped the United States to a Gold Medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. He completed the tournament with a 5-1-0 record, 1.63 goals against average, .940 save percentage and three shutouts.
USA’s Player of the Game for the Gold Medal Game against Canada, Knight stopped all 34 shots faced to register his third shutout of the tournament. The shutout marked the first shutout in the championship game of the World Juniors since 2012. The shutout also marked the first shutout by a USA team in the World Junior Championship medal round.
Knight’s three shutouts marked the most in a World Junior Championship career by a USA goaltender.
On the international stage with USA Hockey, Knight has earned a World Junior Championship Gold Medal (2021), Silver Medal (2019), IIHF World U18 Championship Silver Medal (2018), Bronze Medal (2019) and World U17 Hockey Challenge Gold Medal (2017).
Originally selected by Florida in the first round (13th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Knight appeared in 54 games over two seasons for Boston College (2019-20 to 2020-21) amassing a 39-12-3 record, .931 save percentage, 2.05 goals against average and eight shutouts.
Welcome to the fold, Spencer!