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Panthers Ready to Open Season After West Point Visit

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Your Florida Panthers recently visited West Point Academy for a weekend training session led by former Army Ranger J.B. Spisso. Spisso ran the Panthers through many rigorous drills to help them form and work as a team. The sessions began Sunday shortly after the team arrived from South Florida. Some of the drills Spisso ran the Panthers through…

”Rescuing” a downed pilot in the middle of a lake.
Completing an obstacle course while explosives went off all around them and a tire roll up the side of a mountain.
Had to carry teammates above their head while sloshing through water, making sure the player they were helping didn’t get wet.

All this while having non-hockey superiors screaming directions, encouragement — and, yes, unprintable things — at them.

The team is spending three nights at Thayer Hill, a less-than-modern hotel on the grounds, and have little or no time to themselves. In addition to their daily on-ice workouts, there was team-building Sunday, Monday and today, lunch with Army hockey coach Brian Riley today and lunch with the cadets Wednesday.

”This is a team sport, so, whatever the system is we have to stick with it,” said center Olli Jokinen, who briefly served in the Finnish Army as a youth. “I think that’s the one message they are really drilling into us. If you don’t show up, your teammates have to carry you. It was a learning process. You have to be ready to battle and leave everything out there.

“The results we are getting are outstanding. Everyone worked hard . . . you don’t want to let the guy beside you down.”

Some other Panthers notes: Richard Zednik’s Florida debut might be delayed after the veteran winger dangerously crashed into the boards for the second time in as many weeks. Zednik apparently injured his shoulder during impact, and spent hours in the training room receiving treatment. Defenseman Steve Montador had minor knee surgery Monday morning and is expected to be out the next few weeks.

George Richards of the great On Frozen Blog On Frozen Pond gives us some more insight to the Panthers preseason training at West Point and some other Panther goodies.

LETS GO CATS!!!

(Thanks for the correction from the comments)