When - 7 p.m., Friday, September 15
Where - Hertz Arena; Estero, Florida
How to Watch - The games will be livestreamed on the team's website.
The Carolina Hurricanes will kick off its 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase with a game-one matchup against the Florida Panthers.
As a reminder, here is the schedule for the showcase:
Friday, Sept. 15
4 p.m. - Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
7 p.m. - Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Saturday, Sept. 16
3 p.m. - Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
6 p.m. - Florida Panthers vs. Nashville Predators
Monday, Sept. 18
10 a.m. - Nashville Predators vs. Carolina Hurricanes
1 p.m. - Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
*Sunday is a practice day and no games are scheduled then
The Hurricanes have brought a team which nearly 1/3 of is comprised of invitees, but of the drafted players, the Hurricanes have prospects ranging from first to seventh-round picks and from the 2019 draft up to this year's.
The Canes will have some big names participating such as Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki, and this tournament should be a good indicator of how much those two have improved from their years in the AHL.
3 Hurricanes to Watch for in Rookie Showcase
Here's how the prospects lined up during their practice skates, but obviously this is subject to change come game time:
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*Rees had surgery in the offseason and while he practiced, he will not take part in the showcase
Defense
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Goaltending
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I also teamed up with David Dwork from THN Florida to highlight three players on the Panthers to watch out for. Here's his three with a little background on each:
Mackie Samoskevich
Samoskevich probably carries more hype into training camp than any Panthers prospect in recent memory. The 2021 first-round pick signed his ELC earlier this year after two standout years at the University of Michigan and spent the end of last season with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, where he logged six assists in nine games. During Florida's development camp over the summer, Samoskevich stood out for all the right reasons. He was the best player on the ice throughout the week and will be looking to make a similar splash during his first pro camp later this month. First, he'll have the rookie showcase to put his skills on display and turn a few heads ahead of camp with the big boys.
Mike Benning
Florida's fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft grew into one of the top defensemen in NCAA during his three seasons with the University of Denver. During his 101 games with the Pioneers, Benning racked up 31 goals and 83 points while holding an on-ice rating of plus-55. He was with the Panthers last season as a Black Ace during Florida's run to the Stanley Cup Final. He's likely to start his first pro season in the AHL, but he'll be one to keep an eye on after looking so good at the college level.
Ryan McAllister
He signed his three-year ELC with Florida late last season after a standout year with Western Michigan University in which he racked up 13 goals and 49 points in 39 games with the Broncos. He's not the biggest guy at 5-foot-10, 183 lbs. but features an accurate wrist shot and a deceptively quick release. He got his feet wet with in the pro ranks last season, signing a PTO with the Charlotte Checkers and playing seven games, including three in the playoffs. In those seven games McAllister accumulated two goals and seven points.
