It's the first time an NHL team will host an ice hockey clinic in a Caribbean island nation. Children ages 5-14 will participate at Icetopia Skating Rink.
"Our outreach in the Caribbean over the last five years have been invaluable experiences for our players, staff and the youth learning the game of hockey for the first time," Panthers president and CEO Matthew Caldwell said. "After introducing the sport through ball hockey clinics for the past trips we are proud to be the first NHL team to have an ice hockey clinic in the Caribbean and work alongside a great partner like Barbados."
Icetopia Skating Rink uses synthetic ice but players still must wear traditional ice skates.
It's the second straight year the Panthers have held a clinic in Barbados, and the sixth straight year they've held youth hockey events in the region, including clinics in the Dominican Republic (2015), Bahamas (2014) and Puerto Rico (2013, 2012).
"We are happy to be hosting the Panthers for their second year in Barbados and share this experience with them," Icetopia owner Paolo Carraro said. "Skating is of course a very new concept to Barbados, so to have the novelty of being able to skate with a professional hockey player is pretty amazing for a Bajan child."
