SAN JOSE – Seth Jones got right to work.
In Tuesday’s season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, the sturdy defenseman amassed a team-high 28:59 of ice time as the Florida Panthers locked down a thrilling 1-0 win in overtime.
During the game, he skated 4.43 miles, per NHL EDGE.
Among the NHL’s five opening-night matchups, no player on any team racked up more mileage.
“My legs felt pretty good last night,” Jones said following Wednesday’s practice in San Jose. “I just hope I can keep that energy through the rest of this road trip and the season.”
Tired isn’t a word you’ll ever hear from Jones.
In 52 games last season, the 31-year-old blueliner led the Panthers with 23:42 of ice time per game. Playing in all situations, he spent ample time on both the power play and penalty kill, averaging 3:34 and 2:18, respectively, on those units.
Opting to spend the majority of his offseason training in South Florida, Jones made sure to keep his conditioning level high.
“It was a long summer, for sure,” said Jones, who trained with Aaron Ekblad. “It was nice for, not only me, but for the rest of the team to get some training in. Did a lot of skating work this summer with the guys on the ice. Just tried to stay fast and keep the feet going. The rest of that stuff just comes together.”
Taken by the Nashville Predators with the fourth-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Jones, who the Panthers acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to winning the Stanley Cup in 2025, has been eating up major minutes ever since he turned pro.
Over the course of his 14-year career, he’s averaged 23:46 of ice time per tilt.
While manning the blue line for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jones also set the record for most minutes ever skated in a playoff game, compiling 65:06 of ice time during a five-overtime thriller against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Aug. 11, 2020.
“He’s an incredibly fit man,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “He’s capable of doing it.”
With another tough defensive test on the horizon, Jones and the Panthers will try to improve to 2-0-0 when they visit the high-flying San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
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