‘It’s heartwarming for us’: Panthers visit Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – It’s always special when the champs pay a visit.

Spreading joy throughout all South Florida, the Florida Panthers split up and visited five different local-area hospitals during a very special day of outreach on Jan. 31.

At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, it was the quartet of Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, A.J. Greer and Spencer Knight that brought smiles to patients and staff.

Right when they walked through the door, they were greeted with a grand welcome.

“It was amazing,” Barkov said. “It’s heartwarming for us. We’re really happy to be here.”

For Barkov, spending time at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is nothing new.

Dating back to 2019, the star center donates $1,600 for every goal he scores (in honor of his No. 16) and $800 for every assist he dishes out throughout the regular season and playoffs.

Since he started #BarkovScores4JoeD, he’s donated nearly $500,000 to the hospital.

Additionally, he also donates a suite to the hospital for every Panthers home game.

“It’s money well spent,” Barkov said. “They way they handle things here is incredible. It’s an amazing thing to see. All the healthcare workers that work at this place do an amazing job trying to keep kids happy and healthy. I know every single day they’re doing the best they can to make them feel better. That’s why it’s an amazing place to have a relationship with.”

Like Barkov, Verhaeghe has previous ties to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Prior to Game 6 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, Aniyah, a pediatric patient at the hospital, wrote and performed a special song to inspire the Panthers.

After winning the Cup, Verhaeghe and his wife, Casey, visited Aniyah and brought her gifts.

During this most-recent visit from Verhaeghe, Aniyah, of course, was wearing his No. 23 jersey.

“She went through a transplant and she’s doing so well,” Verhaeghe said. “It’s so good to see her progress. She has the best attitude I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing. She was singing songs for us [last year], so I asked her for a couple more songs for this year’s playoff run.”

In addition to snapping photos and signing autographs for patients and staff, Barkov, Verhaeghe, Greer and Knight also played games and participated in arts and crafts during their visit.

Over the years, Barkov has gained quite a reputation for his skills at air hockey.

“Nobody challenges me anymore,” the big Finn smiled.

For the hospital, the Panthers have almost become like an extended staff.

“They have such a special place in our hearts,” said Caitlin Stella, CEO of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “The players really come here just to play with the kids and hang out. … We really have this close bond with the team. It’s so much more than just being fans.”

That's what it's all about.