Hiroki Gojsic and Tanner Molendyk each scored, but the Nashville Predators prospects ultimately opened the 2024 NHL Rookie Showcase presented by Ticketmaster on Friday falling to the Florida Panthers rookies, 5-2, at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.
Shots on goal were a close 32-21 in favor of the visitors, and the Predators rookies found themselves stung by penalty trouble, ending the first game of the weekend's tournament in the box for 12 total minutes.
Not that the result was too disappointing. After all, Rookie Camp and the weekend’s showcase is more about the learning process, and for a select few, ramping up for next week’s pro camp.
“We're trying to give these kids a heads up that this is what [Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette] wants, this is what you're going to see in camp,” Milwaukee Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor said. “You're going to get here six days ahead of everyone else and hopefully that'll give you a leg up when camp starts. So, we're just trying to help them get leapfrogged into that. Obviously, we want to win every game we play. We're not going to apologize for playing aggressive and hard. That's what we do. Unfortunately, that kind of got us in penalty trouble today. Come the game tomorrow, we're going to play aggressive and hard again.”
QUICK HITS
Hiroki Goes Top Shelf
Despite the result, 2024 third-round pick (94th overall) Hiroki Gojsic gave the crowd at Ford Ice Center Bellevue a goal to remember.
Capitalizing on a Florida turnover and entering the zone behind the Panthers’ defenders, Gojsic picked his spot and went top shelf over the towering shoulder of six-foot-eight netminder Cooper Black.