CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - Max Gildon knows a thing or two about first impressions.
A third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in last year's draft, the 19-year-old defenseman burst onto the college hockey scene with the University of North Hampshire last season, kicking off an incredible freshman campaign with a hat trick in just his sixth career game in a Wildcats uniform.
Prospect Notebook: Gildon Getting Comfy; Wilkie Done Waiting
After scoring four goals -- including his hat trick -- over two games to help lead UNH to a 1-1-0 series split against Colorado College on Oct. 20-21, Gildon earned his first Hockey East Rookie of the Week honor. As the season progressed, he would add one more Rookie of the Week and a Rookie of the Month award to his mantle.
"It was good," Gildon said of his season. "My coaches were really good with him. They showed me a lot. The upperclassmen showed me the way to go and I just kind of followed their lead."
A two-way defenseman and power-play specialist, Gildon finished his fantastic freshman year as UNH's leader in goals (8), assists (15), points (23) and shots (84) among defensemen. Of his eight goals, five came on the power play and two were game winners.
At this week's development camp, Gildon hopes to leave a similar mark on the Panthers.
"It feels pretty good," Gildon said of this week's camp at the Panthers IceDen. "It's my second time around. There's not as much nerves this time, but I'm still looking to get to know everyone and make a good first impression."
At 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds, Gildon has a sturdy frame, but he admits that he needs to "put on some more muscle mass to play those minutes at the next level." At UNH, Gildon hopes to follow in the footsteps of some of the program's most-prestigious alumni, such as current NHL rearguards Trevor van Riemsdyk (2011-14) and Brett Pesce (2012-15).
"New Hampshire does have a long history of defenseman and stuff," Gildon said. "It's been awesome. All the coaching staff has really helped me out and helped me be more defensive and stuff like that. It's been awesome to learn from them."
For Gildon, this week's camp is also a chance to catch up with former teammate Tyler Inamoto.
Inamoto, a fifth-round pick of the Panthers last year, broke into the United States Hockey League (USHL) with Gildon during the 2015-16 season. They also teamed up to help Team USA win gold at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia.
"It's great," Inamoto said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't really in touch with him during the year, but it was great to see all the success he had a UNH and get caught up with him. Logan Hutsko, who got drafted [by the Panthers] this year, was also with the program. It's great experience having them with me. You've got to cherish those friendships. They're going to last for a long time."
For both Gildon and Inamoto, development camp has now become a crucial part of summer.
"They're very important," said Inamoto, who had one goal and three assists during his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. "They're a great way to work on your fundamentals. You get a feel for what it's like to be a Florida Panther and meet the coaches. You get a feel for what they want out of you and what they expect. It's a great experience. I'll be here next year, for sure."
WILKIE DONE WAITING
For Chris Wilkie, the wait is almost over.
After spending his first two collegiate seasons at the University of North Dakota, Wilkie, a former sixth-round draft pick of the Panthers in 2015, made the decision to transfer to Colorado College following his sophomore campaign the Fighting Hawks.
The downside? He had to sit out the entire 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
"It definitely wasn't easy," Wilkie said. "There where times when it seemed to drag on for a while, but we had a group of good guys over in Colorado. The staff was great at helping me feel involved in everything during the week. It wasn't easy watching the team play every weekend. Now that I made it through I'm excited to get the season going and move forward."
Wilkie, 21, scored six goals and added 13 assists in 62 games over two seasons with North Dakota, winning a national championship in 2016. At Colorado, he was unable to compete in games, but still traveled and practiced with the team - "I was like a healthy scratch," he said.
With no game action to keep him sharp, Wilkie said he turned his focus elsewhere.
"I had a lot more time than I usually would in the weight room all year, so I was able to put some weight on and build off of that," he said. "For me, it's just going to be about getting back into it those first couple of games since it's been a while. I'm just excited to get going."
A natural goal scorer, Wilkie spent two seasons with the USHL's Tri-City Storm prior to being drafted. He earned a spot on the league's Second All-Star Team in 2014-15 after tying for the league's goal-scoring lead with a career-high 35 goals in 59 games.
At Colorado, Wilkie said he hopes to continue honing his powerful shot.
"I had a lot of time to work on individual skill development this year," he said. "Whether it be in the mornings or afternoons, I'm just continuing to develop my shot and my release, as well as every other aspect of my game."
With two years of NCAA eligibility left, Wilkie is eager to get his career back on track.
"I want to prove myself again," he said. "Even this year without playing, I think was able to rebuild my confidence again and get back to knowing how I can play. I just want to continue proving that. I'm going to get a bigger opportunity to play a lot of minutes and situations this year. I'm ready to get going."
