Knight was joined by several NHL stars at the special charity event in his home state
Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight was back on the ice in his home state of Connecticut last week.
Knight, a native of Darien, CT, was there to participate in the first ever Shoulder Check Showcase, which took place Thursday at the Terry Conners Rink in Stamford.
The showcase was hosted by the HT40 Foundation, which was created in honor of 15-year-old Hayden Thorsen, a young hockey goalie who died by suicide last spring.
Created by Thorsen's parents, the HT40 Foundation focuses on mental health.
Several NHL players participated in the event, including Knight, Chris Kreider, Jonathan Quick, Trevor Zegras, Kevin Shattenkirk, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox.
Last season Knight left the Panthers to join the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
After completing his treatment, Knight re-joined the team last month and took part in Florida's annual development camp.
The hope is that Knight picks up where he left off as one of the Panthers two NHL goaltenders, along with Sergei Bobrovsky, but there is no pressure or expectation being put on the 22-year-old.
He will continue to work his way back, and let the chips fall where they may.
"We haven't addressed it much," Knight said during development camp when asked about Florida's goaltending situation. "I think we have a bunch of good goalies here in the system. I could think things or speculate on how things go, but the one thing I've learned is that I've just got to be cool with whatever happens, you know? If you go here, great. If you’re there, great. If this happens, great. That's the approach I have to have, because I know the skill I have, and I don't doubt that. The skill, combined with my physical capability…I think I have tremendous skill, and I think I can be one of the best goalies in this league."
As he gears up to resume his young and promising hockey career, events like the Shoulder Check Showcase provide Knight an opportunity to stay close with his home community while helping bring attention to an important cause.
Now he's only got a few weeks until he and his teammates begin converging on South Florida for training camp. Getting the band back together should be a wonderful experience for all involved.
"One of the best things about hockey is just the faces and the people," Knight said. "I think that gets overlooked when it's all said and done."