The 24-year-old defenseman
made his NHL postseason debut
against the New York Islanders in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup Qualifier series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the hub city for the Eastern Conference, on Aug. 4. He played 13:13 and was minus-1 in a 4-2 loss.
"Personally, it's unbelievable to see it," Keeper said that day. "I can't even rate it. I'm just trying to control my nerves. I can't even sit down here and watch the game. I'm pacing back and forth, going inside and outside."
A native of Cross Lake, the Pimicikamak Cree community of 8,000 about eight hours north of Winnipeg, Keeper completed his first professional season by scoring 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 61 games for Springfield of the American Hockey League. The college free agent out of the University of Maine could be a factor for the Panthers next season with defensemen Mark Pysyk a pending unrestricted free agent, and MacKenzie Weegar and Josh Brown each potential restricted free agents.
"I thought he had a good game today," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said after Game 2. "I thought he had an excellent (exhibition) game against (the Tampa Bay Lightning), and he had a real good training camp. I think that was why he earned his spot."
Keeper signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers on March 18, 2019, and made his NHL debut 10 days later, playing 12:40 in a 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
