NASHVILLE – Let the fun begin.
Kicking off their seven-game preseason schedule, the Florida Panthers will take on the Nashville Predators in a split-squad doubleheader at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.
The games are set to begin at 3 p.m.and 7 p.m. ET, respectively.
“That’s going to be awesome,” said Anton Lundmark, who signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the team in April. “It’s really fun. The practices have been fun and [I’m] looking forward to the game.”
Already through three days of camp and a summer of training, players of all experience levels will get a chance to put the hard work to use.
“It’s cool (to be back in game mode),” said Jack Studnicka, a five-year NHL veteran forward who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on July 2. “For someone like myself who didn’t go on a long playoff run, the summer can drag on, so [I’m] looking forward to competing out there.”
Hosting 72 players in training camp – 42 forwards, 23 defensemen and seven goaltenders – the Panthers will have plenty of options to roll with for the two games in the Music City.
With the core veterans of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions not joining main camp until next week, it’ll also be an opportunity for young players and NHL hopefuls to be in the spotlight.
“We’ll go in with light lineups in terms of NHL veterans, so they’ll (the young players) get stressed a little bit, which is a great opportunity for us to see them against a little bigger, stronger, faster opponent,” said head coach Paul Maurice on Saturday following the team’s third day of training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex.
Getting to experience some competition on the big stage, recent draft picks Shea Busch (fourth-round, 128th overall in 2025), Shamar Moses (fifth-round, 129th overall in 2025), and Jack Devine (2022 seventh-round pick, 221st overall in 2022) are amongst those that will play their first preseason game with the Panthers.
“You want to see as many people as you can in your organization,” said Maurice. “Young goalies especially. The forwards you can hide, the D can get a little exposed, but the poor goalie is on his own. It’s sometimes unfair.”
A yearly tradition with the two southern teams, Sunday will mark the fifth consecutive year the Panthers and Predators have played in a doubleheader.
Getting the best of the Predators through the first eight matchups, the Panthers own a 7-1-0 record in the contests.
In last year’s doubleheader, the Panthers took both games by scores of 3-2 and 6-2 at Amerant Bank Arena.
Both games of this year’s doubleheader will be streamed at FloridaPanthers.com.
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