The Florida Panthers announced Wednesday that Moose Jaw Warriors forward Eric Alarie was among 24 players invited to the team’s development camp, which will run Sept. 10-14 at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Fla.
It’ll come as justice indeed for the 18-year-old left winger, who went into the 2021 National Hockey League Entry Draft as the 51st ranked prospect among North American skaters -- which normally translates into a fourth- to sixth-round pick -- but went unselected.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Winnipeg product will now get his NHL opportunity after leading the Warriors in scoring in the East Division hub, scoring 10 goals and 20 points in 19 games.
Panthers camp isn’t just a look-and-see event for unselected players, either -- among those taking part will be three first-round draft picks, including forward Anton Lundell (12th overall, 2020), goaltender Spencer Knight (13th overall, 2019) and Grigori Denisenko (15th overall, 2018).
Players will take part in on- and off-ice activities through the five days and will then take the ice in the Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect Showcase Tournament from Sept. 18-21. That will include games against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sept. 18, Nashville Predators on Sept. 19 and Tampa Bay on Sept. 21.
The Warriors open training camp on Tuesday, Sept. 7, play their first exhibition game on Sept. 14 against Brandon and open the regular season on Friday, Oct. 1 when they host the Saskatoon Blades.
Overtime… Season tickets are currently available, with early bird pricing until Aug. 27. Stop by the Warriors office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or give them a shout at (306) 624-2170 to purchase or for more information… the Warriors are looking for a variety of game-night staff, including mascot, ice crew, in-stands game host and ambassadors. If interested, send a resume to hayley@mjwarriors.com.
