Pipeline Between Panthers, Thunderbirds Growing Stronger

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - If you take a look around the MassMutual Center, you'll find the walls littered with photos of current members of the Florida Panthers - an impressive feat considering the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds have only been in business for less than three full seasons.
Just outside the home team's locker room, familiar faces fill grand murals that line both sides of the hallway leading onto the ice. And in bolded capitalized lettering, the team's developmental mantras surround players as they make their journey to the bench before each and every game.

On one side it reads "THE FUTURE," with action shots of NHL regulars like center Jared McCann and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar nestled inside each word. Across from there, "WIN YOUR NEXT SHIFT" rests over a group photo loaded with even more Panthers, such as defenseman Ian McCoshen.
If you put them together, the strong pipeline from Springfield to South Florida becomes visible.
"Players are only as good as they want to become," Panthers assistant general manager and Thunderbirds general manager Eric Joyce told FloridaPanthers.com. "Geordie Kinnear and the coaching staff in Springfield, along with Bryan McCabe and his development staff, really get the most out of each and every one of our players. Those two groups of guys are molding, shaping and trying to make sure that these players know who they are and what's expected of them."
When players arrive to the Thunderbirds, Joyce said that, regardless of their stature coming in, the expectations are the same for every player. And like the powerful wording that lines the way to the locker room, these expectations are laid out firmly in front of them throughout the season.
And although the AHL is loaded with players from a wide variety of different beginnings, from former first-round picks to undrafted free agents, they are all striving for the very same ending.
"From a cultural standpoint, we wanted to create an environment where the players felt they had all the resources they needed to execute the job," Joyce said. "My big three things in life, let alone hockey, is that you control your attitude, your preparation and your effort. We harp on our players to be prepared and have a good attitude… We ask them to come in and be prepared and take it seriously, but to also have fun and give 100 percent every day."
In recent years, that environment has helped create a steady stream of talent flowing from the Thunderbirds to the Panthers. This season alone, 11 skaters that have suited up in at least one game in Florida have also played at least one game in Springfield during the 2018-19 campaign.
During the three-game winning streak the Panthers piece together heading into the NHL All-Star break, four different players that started the season with the Thunderbirds could be found in key positions in the starting lineup: Henrik Borgstrom, Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and McCoshen.
Joyce said the strength of the pipeline is a credit to both scouting and development.
"First and foremost, you have to credit all of our scouts for the hard work that they do," he said. "Not only are they identifying guys and drafting them, but they're also finding free agents, guys that potentially have been looked over in other leagues that they see something in. Those guys are tireless workers and we're lucky to have the team that we do."
One testament to that digging for diamonds in the rough is forward Anthony Greco, who made his NHL debut and played one game with the Panthers in December. Undrafted out of Ohio State in 2015, the 25-year-old has spent each of the last three seasons suiting up in Springfield.
In that time, Greco, an AHL all-star this season, has seen his offensive numbers grow alongside his confidence, currently sitting at 33 points through 45 games this year. When asked about his journey, he credited the team for giving him a good opportunity despite arriving with no fanfare.
"I think at the end of the day it's just a confidence thing," said Greco, who was named the fastest skater during Saturday's AHL All-Star Skills Competition with a record-setting time of 13.251 seconds. "Coming in, you don't know what to expect right out of the gate. That first year was just getting comfortable and building my confidence. Coming in last year was more of the same, getting more confidence and more comfortable, getting put in more and more situations by our coach down here. Hopefully I can continue to just build on that and get better every single day."
Greco said that one of the greatest resources the Thunderbirds have provided players with this season has been veteran leadership. Between Paul Thompson and Harry Zolnierczyk alone, the team added more than 1,000 games of professional experience to the roster this past summer.
"You need those guys," Greco said. "Every team needs experienced guys, older guys. Tommer [Thompson] is a guy that leads by example and talks a lot. Even my first year he was awesome to have around. I was fortunate to come into a team with him on it."
Joyce said the impact veterans are having on the organization's prospects is invaluable.
"You have to credit ownership for giving us the resources to go get those guys," Joyce said. "I think if you look at our team last year, we really missed and lacked a veteran presence in Springfield. Geordie will tell you, just like I'll tell you, that it's almost impossible to both coach and hold everyone accountable all the time. Accountability needs to come person to person, man to man.
"When you have a veteran group like the one we were able to assemble this offseason, they take pride in holding guys accountable… That's why you see guys starting to thrive. There's a little more structure on the ice and in the locker room with those vets. They run the show. They understand what their role is. They understand that they're mentors, teachers, coaches themselves. It's important to have that group."
Looking ahead, the continued growth of the organization's pipeline bodes well for the future, as the increasing amount of talent - from players that project to be everything from future all-stars to role players and beyond - are being pumped into and molded by the system each season.
For the majority of players that carve out careers in the NHL, the AHL has become an important right of passage. In fact, of Florida's 10 leading scorers this season, seven cut their teeth at one point or another in the minors. So, for the Panthers, the goal is simply to improve that passage.
"We want to help them make the most of their opportunities," Joyce said. "That's what we do."