Reflecting on his early days at the rink, Priskie recalled the time when Panthers enforcer Peter Worrell stopped by one of his practices. Standing 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Worrell was both intimidating and awe-inspiring. But for Priskie, seeing an NHL player up close only made him want to work even harder.
"When I did this, I actually did 'Learn to Skate' out of Pines Ice Arena," Priskie said. "Pete was one of the players at the time that came out and skated with us. I remembered what he did on the ice, so I was a little scared of him at first, but Pete's one of the nicest guys I've met. To this day, it means a lot to me."
Now the hockey director of the Panthers IceDen, Worrell was excited to see Priskie paying it forward.
"For me, it's really special to have Chase out here," Worrell said. "I remember when I met him all those years ago and he was just a gangly little kid that just wanted to learn. He's worked his tail off and put himself in a good position to become an NHL-er…. Chase is homegrown, an exceptional young man."
Working tirelessly to turn South Florida into a youth hockey hotbed, Worrell hopes that having a local players like Priskie get involved with "Learn to Play" programs will provide kids with a new role model.
"I just think when you're a young person you need examples," Worrell said. "For me growing up as a young African American watching Grant Fuhr or those guys plays, it gave me the energy to want to be a player. I think for kids growing up in Florida to see Chase Priskie, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakob Chychrun … It reminds them that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. If they have the skills and the right attitude, they can reach their dreams as well."
In conjunction with the NHL, NHLPA and USA Hockey, the Panthers recently resumed their "Learn To Play" sessions at multiple local rinks with brand new safety precautions being taken due to COVID-19.
Introducing the game to children ages 5-9 at a reduce cost, the program was designed to tear down some of the traditional financial barriers that have kept families away from the ice in the past. For an affordable cost, all participants receive a full set of equipment (skates, pads, etc.) and six weeks of on-ice training.
For more information on the program, please visit
FloridaPanthers.com/LearnToPlay
.
"The Panthers have been exceptionally generous in terms of helping kids get their first set of equipment from top to bottom so they can come out here, learn the game and become hockey players," Worrell said. "They can garner a lifelong love of the game."
Asked about his advice for new hockey players, Priskie believes it all starts with just having fun. "If you get knocked down, get back on your feet and keep going with it," Priskie said. "Before you know it, you'll be playing in the NHL."
