Kinnear has been Florida's AHL head coach since 2016

The Florida Panthers kicked off the team's annual Development Camp on Monday at the Ice Den in Coral Springs.

Camp will consist of five days of work both on and off the ice and features 37 prospects; 19 forwards, 12 defensemen and six goalies.

Running the show once again is Geordie Kinnear, the head coach of the AHL's the Charlotte Checkers.

He's been running the bench of the Panthers' AHL affiliate since the 2016-17 season.

On Monday, Kinnear gave an idea into his plans for the upcoming week.

Getting to know each of the players, he said, is key.

"I think relationships are number one, to get to know everybody, get to know the kids," said Kinnear.

As for the on ice work, it's going to be a week of hard work, but work with a purpose.

"You want to establish some foundational habits," Kinnear said. "Like you saw today, we did a lot of skating, which, to be a great player and to play in the National Hockey League, that's the foundation. So throughout the week we'll build that and then we'll build some team skill into it, some system type stuff, and then have some fun at the end of the week."

Development camp can be extremely helpful to young hockey players who are just getting into the professional side of the game.

The guys who are experiencing everything for the first time can lean on the ones who were there last year. They can ask the guys who have signed their entry-level contracts about the process of going pro, what to expect, invaluable things that only those who have lived it can tell you.

It also helps to see guys doing the things you want to be doing.

Everything ties in to what Kinnear is trying to instill to these youngsters.

"I think it's so important to have that building phase with these guys," Kinnear said. "It's up to them, but the development curve is a little bit faster. How fast they want to develop is up to them and the work ethic they put in. We have a great bunch of kids and I'm excited about the group."

It’s important to note that Development Camp is not only rewarding for the players, but the coaching staff as well.

There is something about working with the eager, wide-eyed prospects, helping them grow and learn.

It’s why coaches do what they do.

"I always enjoy these weeks," Kinnear said. "I feel like as a coach, they're so valuable to get the process started, and we talked about that today. Getting the process started, building all the time on a daily basis and just keep taking it through the summer, right into training camp."