With two shutouts in his last three starts, Spencer Knight's game is improving for the Charlotte Checkers and he could be a big part of the Panthers future
With two shutouts in his last three starts, Spencer Knight's game is improving for the Charlotte Checkers and he could be a big part of the Panthers future
The Panthers drafted Spencer Knight with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft and he was regarded as a potential future star. Knight was the goalie for the gold medal winning American team at the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship and that amplified the hype surrounding him.
After losing backup goalie Chris Driedger to Sin the the 2021 expansion draft, the Panthers made the decision to promote Knight to the main roster and he began the season as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
While Knight had early success, he then dealt with bouts of inconsistency and was eventually sent down to the Panthers AHL affiliate, Charlotte Checkers. Knight also went through some personal struggles, and took a leave of absence from the team, entering the NHL’s player assistance program in February of 2023 as he was dealing with an ongoing case of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
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Knight returned to the team for training camp this season and the Panthers made the decision to send him down to the AHL. Everyone loves a good comeback story and Knight has really found his form as of late in Charlotte.
He has two shutouts in his last three starts. As well, he has has earned a victory in eight of his last nine games and has seen both his save percentage and goals against average improve in the latter half of the season.
It is great to see Spencer Knight playing hockey again and excelling. Will be interesting to see how Knight plays into the Panthers plans next season and if he can eventually live up to that goalie of the future hype.
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