Goalie Spencer Knight leaves Panthers, enters Player Assistance Program

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight has entered the player assistance program, the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association announced Friday.

The 21-year-old goalie will be unavailable for an indefinite period and will continue to be paid while away from the team. He will return to the team once he is cleared by the program’s administrators.

Knight is currently in his third NHL season and has posted a 9-8-3 record with a goals against average of 3.18 and a .901 save percentage in 21 games this year. He was originally taken with the 13th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The young netminder had been demoted to the Panthers’ affiliate Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League on Thursday as a means to offer him more game time.

According to team insider George Richards, Knight “is not believed to be dealing with a drug or alcohol related issue.” We're wishing him the best.

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