The Florida Panthers opened their 2025 preseason slate with their annual doubeleader against the Nashville Predators.
This year, the Cats and Preds faced off at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and with the NHL shrinking its preseason schedule to two games next season, it could very possibly be the final time we see the twin billing.
Florida opened training camp last week with an eye-popping 72 players on the roster, and with many of the unsigned prospects expected to return to their respective junior teams in the coming days and weeks, it was mostly those younger guys who made the trip to Nashville.
The idea is to give those players a taste of NHL hockey, and boy did they get it on Sunday.
Florida may have been playing their younger, inexperienced players, but Nashville apparently did not get that memo.
Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Ryan O’Reilly Juuse Saros and Roman Josi were all among the players who suited up for Nashville as they swept the doubleheader from the Panthers, taking the first game 5-0 and the nightcap 5-3.
“I thought these were very difficult games to play in for young players to play in, because there are some NHLers on the other side,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “And they’re all brand new, right? There’s no line combinations out there.
“I thought in the first (game), you get to young players’ instincts,” he continued. “They haven’t been here long enough for systems or any kind of idea of that, but you get to see their individual instincts. The second game, there was a little more continuity to that group, they had spent some time together. It’s good we stayed in the battle and found our way to fight back in a game. It’s a difficult thing to do in this league.”
Brett Chorske gave Florida a 1-0 lead during the opening frame of game two, then Mike Benning scored a pair of third period goals that brought the Panthers back within a goal of the host Predators, who had jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
O’Reilly deposited the puck into an empty net during the game’s final minute to seal the victory for the home team.
“It took a little bit to get used to it, but the guys found it in the last little bit there and made a push, but we came up short,” said Benning.
Florida will continue their preseason schedule on Wednesday when they face the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
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Photo caption: Sep 19, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice speaks to his players during training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)