Panthers On-Ice Practices Begin in Vail, CO

The Florida Panthers opened their 2006 Training Camp with photos and physicals on Thursday at the BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers then traveled to Vail, Colo. and open up on-ice sessions today at Eagle Ice Rink in Eagle, Colo. After a six-game preseason road trip, the Cats will complete Training Camp at incredible ICE in Coral Springs and the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise during the week of Sept. 25.

The Cats two preseason home games – Sept. 27 vs. Atlanta and Sept. 28 vs. Chicago – are presented by Bruce Rossmeyer Harley-Davidson.

The Panthers training camp will consist of 41 players – 24 forwards, 12 defensemen and five goaltenders. Florida will play eight preseason games, with the first six on the road. The Cats preseason schedule is as follows.

Sept. 17 at Calgary 8 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Edmonton 9 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. NY Rangers (Puerto Rico) 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 at Detroit 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m.

The Panthers will practice in two different groups for the first 10 days of camp. The Training Camp schedule is listed below. Please note that the times on the schedule are always subject to change.

The Panthers begin the 2006-07 regular season Oct. 6 at the BankAtlantic Center against Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m. After a brief two game road trip, the Cats return home to face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes on Wed., Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m., followed two days later by a game against Southeast Division rival Tampa Bay Lightning on Fri., Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets for the upcoming Florida Panthers season, please call 954-835-PUCK or visit www.floridapanthers.com.

2006 TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

8:00 AM: Physicals and Photos (BankAtlantic Center)
11:00 AM – Noon: Media availability (BankAtlantic Center)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Team A
9:45 AM – 11:00 AM: Practice (Eagle Ice Rink)
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Off-ice

Team B
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM: Off-ice (Eagle Ice Rink)
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM: Practice

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Team B
9:45 AM – 11:00 AM: Practice (Eagle Ice Rink)
11:15 PM – 12:00 PM: Off-ice

Team A
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM: Off-ice ((Eagle Ice Rink)
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM: Practice

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Non-Game Players
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM: Practice (Saddledome)
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM: Off-ice

Game Players
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Pre-game Skate (Saddledome)
6:00 PM: FLORIDA PANTHERS @ CALGARY FLAMES

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Non-Game Players
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Practice (Father David Bauer arena / Norma Bush rink)
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Off-ice

Game Players
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Pre-game Skate (Father David Bauer arena / Norma Bush rink)
7:00 PM: FLORIDA PANTHERS @ EDMONTON OILERS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Non-Game Players (vs. Edmonton)
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Practice (Father David Bauer arena / Norma Bush rink)
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: Off-ice

Game Players (vs. Edmonton)
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM: Off-ice (Father David Bauer arena / Norma Bush rink)
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM: Practice

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Non-Game Players
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM: Practice (Phillips Arena)
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM: Off-ice

Game Players
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Pre-game Skate (Phillips Arena)
7:00 PM: FLORIDA PANTHERS @ ATLANTA THRASHERS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Non-Game Players (vs. Chicago)
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Practice (United Center)
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: Off-ice

Game Players (vs. Chicago)
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Pre-game Skate (United Center)
7:30 PM FLORIDA PANTHERS @ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
All players
10:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Practice (United Center)
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Off-ice

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Non-Game Players
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM: Practice (Coliseo De Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot)
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: Off-ice

Game Players
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Pre-game Skate (Coliseo De Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot)
7:30 PM FLORIDA PANTHERS @ NEW YORK RANGERS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Non-Game Players (vs. Detroit)
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM: Practice (Joe Louis Arena)

Game Players (vs. Detroit)
7:00 PM FLORIDA PANTHERS @ DETROIT RED WINGS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Day Off

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM: Practice (BankAtlantic Center)
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Off-ice

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Game Players
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Pre-game Skate (BankAtlantic Center)
7:30 PM FLORIDA PANTHERS VS. ATLANTA THRASHERS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Game Players
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Pre-game Skate (BankAtlantic Center)
7:30 PM FLORIDA PANTHERS VS. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM: Practice (BankAtlantic Center)
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Off-ice


FORWARDS
NO. NAME POS. HGT. WGT. S/C DOB PLACE OF BIRTH 2005-06 CLUB
9 Stephen Weiss C 5-11 191 L 4/3/83 Toronto, Ontario Florida
10 Gary Roberts LW 6-2 215 L 5/23/66 North York, Ontario Florida
11 Gregory Campbell LW 6-0 197 L 12/17/83 London, Ontario Florida/ Rochester (AHL)
12 Olli Jokinen C 6-3 215 L 12/5/78 Kuopio, Finland Florida
13 Juraj Kolnik RW 5-10 190 R 11/13/80 Nitra, Slovakia Florida
15 Jozef Stumpel C 6-3 225 R 7/20/72 Nitra, Slovakia Florida
16 Nathan Horton RW 6-2 201 R 5/29/85 Welland, Ontario Florida
18 Ville Peltonen LW 5-9 185 L 5/24/73 Vantaa, Finland Lugano (Swiss)
23 Martin Gelinas LW 6-0 202 L 6/5/70 Shawinigan, Quebec Florida
25 Joe Nieuwendyk C 6-2 205 L 9/10/66 Oshawa, Ontario Florida
28 Dustin Johner C 5-11 177 R 3/6/83 Sylvan Lake, Alberta Florida (ECHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
38 Janis Sprukts C 6-3 235 L 1/31/82 Riga, Latvia HPK Hameenlinna (FNL)
40 Greg Jacina C 6-0 180 R 5/22/82 Guelph, Ontario Florida (NHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
41 Denis Shvidki RW 6-2 210 L 11/21/80 Kharkov, Ukraine Novosibirsk Siber (Russia)
44 Todd Bertuzzi RW 6-3 245 L 2/2/75 Sudbury, Ontario Vancouver
46 David Booth RW 6-1 209 L 11/24/84 Detroit, MI Michigan State (CCHA)
50 Drew Larman C 6-3 188 R 5/15/85 Canton, MI Florida (ECHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
51 Rob Globke RW 6-3 201 R 10/24/82 Farmington, MI Florida (NHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
54 Kamil Kreps RW 6-2 189 R 11/18/84 Litomerice, Czech Republic Rochester (AHL)
57 Anthony Stewart RW 6-2 228 R 1/5/85 LaSalle, Quebec Florida (NHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
64 Stefan Meyer C 6-2 198 L 7/20/85 Medicine Hat, Alberta Rochester (AHL)
71 Kenndal McArdle LW 5-11 195 L 1/4/87 Burnaby, British Columbia Moose Jaw (WHL)
77 Chris Gratton C 6-4 221 L 7/5/75 Brantford, Ontario Florida
85 Rostislav Olesz LW 6-1 207 L 10/10/85 Bilovec, Czech Republic Florida

DEFENSEMEN:
NO. NAME POS. HGT. WGT. S/C DOB PLACE OF BIRTH 2005-06 CLUB
2 Branislav Mezei D 6-5 235 L 10/8/80 Nitra, Slovakia Florida
3 Ari Vallin D 5-11 194 L 3/21/78 Ylojarvi, Finland Karpat (FNL)
4 Jay Bouwmeester D 6-4 214 L 9/27/83 Edmonton, Alberta Florida
5 Bryan Allen D 6-4 220 L 8/21/80 Kingston, Ontario Vancouver
7 Steve Montador D 6-0 211 R 12/21/79 Vancouver, British Columbia Florida / Calgary
8 Joel Kwiatkowski D 6-0 207 L 3/22/77 Kindersley, Saskatchewan Florida
21 Alexei Semenov D 6-6 235 L 4/10/81 Murmansk, Russia Florida / Edmonton
24 Ruslan Salei D 6-2 205 L 11/2/74 Minsk, Belarus Anaheim
26 Mike Van Ryn D 6-1 202 R 5/14/79 London, Ontario Florida
45 Franklin MacDonald D 6-0 191 L 4/8/85 Sydney, NS Halifax (QMJHL)
47 Martin Lojek D 6-4 234 R 8/19/85 Brno, Czech Republic Florida (ECHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
53 Jeremy Swanson D 6-0 219 L 6/21/84 Red Rock, Ontario Florida (ECHL)/ Rochester (AHL)
55 Ric Jackman D 6-2 197 R 6/28/78 Toronto, Ontario Florida / Pittsburgh
59 Martin Tuma D 6-4 210 L 9/14/85 Most, Czech Republic Florida (ECHL)/ Rochester (AHL)

GOALTENDERS:
NO. NAME POS. HGT. WGT. S/C DOB PLACE OF BIRTH 2005-06 CLUB
20 Ed Belfour G 5-11 202 L 4/21/65 Carmen, Manitoba Toronto
30 Jean-Marc Pelletier G 6-3 210 L 3/4/78 Atlanta, GA Rochester (AHL)
31 Craig Anderson G 6-2 180 L 5/21/81 Park Ridge, Illinois Chicago
34 David Shantz G 6-1 204 L 5/5/86 Hamilton, Ontario Peterborough (OHL)
35 Alex Auld G 6-4 200 L 1/7/81 Thunder Bay, Ontario Vancouver