SUNRISE, FL. – The Florida Panthers announced today that the club will host a pre-game ceremony to honor Patric Hornqvist prior to the Panthers 7:00 p.m. (ET) game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023.
“Patric’s leadership and unparalleled competitive drive helped to shape the spirit of the Florida Panthers today,” said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito. “He is beloved here in South Florida as well as in Pittsburgh, Nashville, Sweden and throughout the National Hockey League, and we are excited to celebrate his decorated career.”
Hornqvist, 36, skated in 15 NHL seasons (2008-09 to 2022-23) between the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, highlighted by back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh in 2015-16 and 2016-17. He was originally selected by Nashville with the 230th overall pick – the final selection – of the 2005 NHL Draft.
The 5-foot-11, 189-pound native of Sollentuna, Sweden, amassed 543 points (264-279-543) across 901 career games. His 264 goals are tied with Nicklas Lidstrom, Thomas Steen and Kent Nilsson for 10th-most by a Swedish born skater in League history.
Hornqvist appeared in 106 Stanley Cup playoff games, producing 53 points (28-25-53). He scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators. Hornqvist’s teams made the postseason in 12 of his 15 NHL seasons.
With the Panthers, Hornqvist appeared in 131 regular season games from 2020-21 to 2022-23, posting 63 points (26-37-63). He helped Florida to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his three seasons with the team.
Prior to his career in the NHL, Hornqvist played professionally in Sweden. He was named the Elitserien Rookie of the Year in 2006-07 while playing for Djurgardens IF.
On the international stage, Hornqvist won a Gold Medal with Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, scoring two goals over five games. At the 2019 IIHF World Championship, Hornqvist produced 10 points (7-3-10) over eight games for Sweden, including a team-leading seven goals.
Following his retirement after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Hornqvist joined the Panthers front office staff as scouting and development consultant.
Photo/FloridaPanthers/X
Florida Panther media relations contributed to this column
