Knight enters NHL player assistance program
Spencer Knight is taking an indefinite leave from the Florida Panthers after entering the NHL’s and NHL Players Association’s joint player assistance program. The goaltender will continue to be paid “while receiving treatment” and will return to the Panthers once he’s “cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators,” the NHL said in its announcement of Knight’s entry into the program.
Knight, who was a firstround pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has had a rocky first two seasons in the NHL as the backup to star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and played sparingly since the start of the new year. The goalie has started 19 games this year — and only three since New Year’s Day — with a .901 save percentage and 3.18 goals-against average.
Florida loaned Knight to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday, hoping to find more consistent playing time for the 21-year-old with Bobrovsky starting nearly every game in the NHL. Knight, however, never appeared in a game or practiced with the Charlotte Checkers before entering the player assistance program.
WHAT IS THE PLAYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?
The player assistance program is a joint endeavor by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, and has been around since 1996. It exists to aid players and their families when a player is going through mental health, substance abuse or similar issues.
Out of respect for players’ privacy, the NHL does not announce specifics when players decide to enter the program.
Knight is the third player to use the player assistance program this year. Detroit Red Wings left wing Jakub Vrana also spent time in the program and Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron is currently in it.
As part of the program, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association make counselors available in every city.
There is no mandated timetable for players to remain in the program. Knight can return to hockey once he believes he is ready and he is cleared by the program.
GOALTENDER KNIGHT’S COMPLICATED CAREER
Knight has been a rising star in the sport for close to half a decade. After he was the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Knight quickly became one of the best goaltenders in the country for the Boston College Eagles and then helped the United States win the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships by shutting out Canada in the gold medal game. A few months later, he left Boston College to join the Panthers and took over as Florida’s starting goaltender in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, beating the eventual-champion Tampa Bay Lightning in his postseason debut.
Since then, he has mostly been stuck in a reserve role behind Bobrovsky, who’s the highest-paid goaltender in the league, and it has meant inconsistent playing time and occasional stints in the American Hockey League. Earlier this season, he played in two games for the Checkers, posting a .918 save percentage and 2.01 goals against average. He has also been hampered by injury and illness this season, leaving his role even more inconsistent.
As long as Knight remains away from the Panthers, Alex Lyon will likely serve as Bobrovsky’s backup. Florida called him up from Charlotte on Thursday after sending down Knight.
Knight is in the final season of his entry-level contract and his $925,000 salary won’t count against the salary cap as long as he remains in the program. In the preseason, Knight signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal, which will kick in next season and keep him in Sunrise until 2026.
David Wilson: 305-376-3406, @DBWilson2