SUNRISE, Fla. - Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon announced today that forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau have been cleared to play in the Panthers 7:30 PM game against the Anaheim Ducks tonight.
"Sasha and Jonathan were cleared for contact earlier this week. As of today they have been cleared to return to our lineup and are ready to play," said Tallon. "They are two of our young cornerstone players and have been adamant about getting back to game action. It's exciting to have our team returning to full health as we continue our push to the playoffs."
"I've seen how hard both Sasha and Jonathan have worked to recover from their injuries and I know they can't wait to get back to competing alongside their teammates," said Interim Head Coach/General Manager Tom Rowe. "Our medical staff deserves a ton of credit for the work they've done in helping two franchise players through their recovery process. Our organization and our locker room are thrilled to welcome them back to the lineup."
Barkov, 21, has recorded 27 points (9-18-27) in 36 games with the Panthers. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound native of Tampere, Finland led the Panthers in scoring for the months of November and December, recording nine points (0-9-9) and 13 points (7-6-13), respectively. Barkov has missed the last 15 games due to injury.
Barkov was originally selected by the Panthers in the first round (second overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.
Huberdeau, 23, is expected to make his 2016-17 season debut tonight. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound native of Saint-Jerome, Quebec has missed 51 games this season due to injury. Huberdeau recorded 59 points (20-39-59) in 76 games with the Panthers during the 2015-16 season, registering career-highs in goals and points, while tying his career-high in assists.
Huberdeau was originally selected by the Panthers in the first round (third overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
The Florida Panthers continue their four-game homestand tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (7:30 PM). Full and partial ticket packages are available that include flexible payment plans. In addition, single game suites and group pricing are available for the 2016-17 season. Please call (954) 835- PUCK (7825) or visit
FloridaPanthers.com/TicketCentral
to purchase your ticket plan.
Click here to buy tickets for tonight, Feb. 3 v. Anaheim Ducks
