Now Signed, Sourdif has "Achieved that First Step" with Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. - There's a lot of things to like about Justin Sourdif's game.
An exceptional athlete with a strong work ethic, the 19-year-old forward has garnered plenty of praise across various media outlets over the past few seasons for his powerful skating, non-stop motor and the ability to let loose shots from all over the ice with an accurate and quick release.
This week, however, he showed off a new skill -- the ability to keep a secret.

A day after putting pen to paper on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers, Sourdif, who the team selected in the third round (87th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, admitted that he'd actually been anxiously sitting on the news for a bit while waiting for everything to get finalized.
"I'd known probably a day or two prior to yesterday that the deal was going to be made," Sourdif said with a big smile following Saturday's practice at FLA Live Arena. "I was really excited. I just talked to my family. There were a lot of nerves, but also a lot of excitement. I've been working really hard ever since I've been drafted to sign a contract. I love South Florida and I want to stay in this organization. I feel like I've achieved that first step. It's just work now, day in and day out."
Tweet from @SourdifJustin: Extremely blessed and excited to sign my first NHL contract with the @FlaPanthers Couldn���t have done this without the support of my friends, coaches and especially my family! pic.twitter.com/3j3Ys1yiSD
Fresh off a breakout season, Sourdif said he did feel like a contract could be in the cards.
Producing at better than a point-per-game pace during his fourth season in the WHL, he paced Vancouver in scoring with 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 34 games, finishing as one of just two players on the Giants to hit the 30-point plateau during the shortened 2020-21 campaign.
"I thought there was a chance, but obviously I wasn't 100% sure," Sourdif said. "I knew if I have a good showing, worked as hard as I can and do what I need to do, that I'd just kind of better my odds. I felt that I did that up to this point, and obviously the management thought so as well."
Coming into his first development camp with a head full of steam, Sourdif stood out as one of the most dynamic players on the ice during the recent rookie tournament in Wesley Chapel, which featured some of the prospects from the Panthers, Hurricanes, Predators and Lightning.
Appearing in two of three games at the tournament, he posted a pair of assists and was singled out as one of the best players on the team by his linemate, Serron Noel, who complimented his high-end skill and vision by saying that it was simply "amazing to play with him" on every shift.

For Sourdif, the tournament was also a great warmup for what was to come.
"Playing in that rookie tournament definitely helped ease some nerves coming into main camp," he said. "Getting to skate with all the younger guys and prospects definitely helped me a lot."
With all the talent the Panthers have, training camp feels more like fantasy camp for Sourdif. Over the last few days, he's had an opportunity to rub elbows with some of the top forwards in the league, including a pair of former all-stars in Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.
"All the guys have been super nice to me," Sourdif said. "They're very respectful toward all the young guys. It's a great group that Florida has here. [Patric] Hornqvist, two Stanley Cups, he's a great player, great person. He's given me some advice. [Huberdeau] is a great guy as well."
The most surreal moment, however, came when he first met head coach Joel Quenneville.
"It's crazy," Sourdif said of chatting with the legendary coach. "I remember watching the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010 when he was behind the bench and just remember thinking how cool it would be to be a part of something like that. Now I'm on the ice with him."
Although he's still in the early stages of his career, Quenneville likes what he sees in Sourdif.
"I think he's got a nice future," Quenneville said. "He's a competitive kid. He moves well. He's strong on the puck. I like the battle that he and [Hornqvist] had out there in that drill there. He handled himself pretty well against a guy that knows how to do that stuff. He's had that type of camp where we're aware of him. I look forward to seeing him play in the big game tomorrow."
Preparing for his first preseason game, Sourdif is expected to take the ice with "Team Blue" in Game 1 of Florida's annual doubleheader with the Predators on Sunday in Sunrise at 2 p.m. ET.
"I'm looking forward it," he said. "I've waited for something like this for a long time. The first step is obviously a preseason game, and then it's about playing a regular season game. Those are goals. It's a lifelong dream of mine. I'm just going to keep working towards that until I achieve it."
With a new contract in hand, Sourdif plans to continue taking his career "one shift at a time" as he works to make a strong impression on the Panthers in training camp before heading back to Vancouver where he believes he can finish as one of the top players in the WHL in 2021-22.
Additionally, he also hopes to play for Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"I'm just going to try to give some advice to the younger guys on the [Giants] and kind of tell them what I learned here during my few weeks that I've been here," Sourdif said. "I expect to have a pretty good season, and I'm going to do everything that is necessary to achieve that."