SUNRISE, Fla. – There’s a Benning back on the blue line in South Florida.
Recalled from the AHL this morning, Mike Benning will make his long-awaited NHL debut when the Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday.
Benning’s dad, Brian, was part of Florida’s inaugural team in 1993-94.
"It's cool," Benning said of following his father’s footsteps. "A little Benning history. Hopefully he’ll be in the building tonight and I can put on a show for him.”
A fourth-round pick (95th overall) of the Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft, Benning, who turned 24 back in January, has recorded 31 points (8G, 23A) in 56 AHL games this season.
In his debut, he'll be paired with veteran Niko Mikkola.
“I want him to take it all in,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “It’s not about the hockey game for him. Of course, he’s going to view that differently. There’s so many people involved in getting a young man to the National Hockey League. From his parents to coaches to amateur coaches to teachers, all the people that feel a connection to Mike. What I want for him, is I want those people to look down at Mike and say, ‘He’s having the time of his life.’”
Winning each of their last two games to improve to 32-29-3, the Panthers enter tonight’s matchup on the heels of an absolutely wild 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Trailing 3-2 late in regulation, Carter “Mr. Clutch” Verhaeghe scored a pair of goals within a span of 1:15 to put the Panthers on top 4-3 with just 14.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
Vinnie Hinostroza, who suited up in his first game since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline, had a goal and an assist against Detroit, while Mikkola touched the twine for the second time in his last three games. In net, Daniil Tarasov made 25 saves.
Finishing strong, Florida led 13-5 in scoring chances in the third period.
“The style of the game that we play, just bringing that every night,” forward Luke Kunin said of the team’s recent success. “Don’t get away from that. That’ll give us the best chance to win.”
In addition to Benning slotting into the lineup in place of Uvis Balinskis, who’s dealing with an injury, the Panthers will also make several other lineup changes tonight.
After missing the last game, Sam Reinhart will return to action. Claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, Cole Reinhardt will make his Panthers debut. Coming out of the lineup will be Anton Lundell and Verhaeghe, who both have a lot of miles on their tires.
Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovksy will start.
“I've got a Benny and a Benning, and two Reinharts,” Maurice smiled.
Across the ice, the Blue Jackets boast a 33-21-10 record and sit just two points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Snapping out of a two-game skid, the Blue Jackets cruised to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lighting in their last outing on Tuesday across the state at Benchmark International Arena.
Four different skaters lit the lamp in the win, with Conor Garland, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline, earning his second straight two-goal game.
A beast on the blue line, Zach Werenski fuels everything the Blue Jackets do, leading the team in scoring with 68 points (20G, 48A) while averaging 26:26 of ice time per contest.
Up front, Kirill Marchenko (56 points) and Charlie Coyle (51 points) pace the team’s forwards in scoring.
Elvis Merzlikins is expected to start for the Blue Jackets in Sunrise.
Meeting for the third and final time this season, the Panthers and Blue Jackets have split the first two games of their season series. After the Panthers earned a 7-6 win in overtime back on Dec. 6, the Blue Jackets responded with a 4-2 win just a week ago on March 5.
“New game tonight,” Kunin said. “Just focus on what we’ve got to do.”
THEY SAID IT
“Just smile and enjoy it. You only get one of these. That’s what Paul told me, too. Just enjoy it. You only get one of these in your life. Make the most of it.” – Mike Benning on his NHL debut
“From the hockey point of view, we’re saying, ‘Do what you’re good at.’ You don’t have to be all things in the NHL, but he’s a really strong skating, puck-moving defenseman. He’s got very good agility going to left to right and closing gaps. I want him to play with that courage to show he can do that.” – Paul Maurice on Mike Benning’s NHL debut
FIVE CATS STATS
- Matthew Tkachuk has six points (3G, 3A) during his three-game point streak.
- Sam Bennett posted his 200th career NHL assist on Tuesday vs. Detroit.
- Sam Reinhart’s 188 goals as a Panther are tied for third-most in franchise history.
- Sergei Bobrovsky is two games away from his 800th NHL game.
- The Panthers are 3-0-0 when Jesper Boqvist scores a goal.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Eetu Luostarinen – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Cole Reinhardt
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Mike Benning
Donovan Sebrango – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- March 7: F Sandis Vilmanis and D Tobias Bjornfot loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- March 6: Acquired F Vinnie Hinostroza from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations
- March 5: Acquired a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft pick from Minnesota in exchange for D Jeff Petry
- March 4: G Louis Domingue agreed to terms on a two-way, one-year NHL contract for remainder of 2025-26 season
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Buy Now
