MONTREAL – Does this count as a roster move?
Heading home after suiting up for the Panthers during the first two games of their five-game trip, Matthew Tkachuk is back in South Florida awaiting the birth of his first child.
“Very good news,” head coach Paul Maurice said after Tuesday’s morning skate in Montreal. “A lot of babies this year.”
So many babies, in fact, that Maurice has referred to the locker room as a nursery on more than one occasion.
A little over a week ago, Sam Bennett also became a dad.
"It's awesome to know that our kids are going to grow up together,” Bennett said. “We're all like brothers in here, so it's cool that our kids are going to get that same feel.”
With so many Panthers locked into long-term contacts, the Jr. Panthers might be unbeatable in the future.
They'll also have quite an experienced head coach.
"You want that job,” Maurice said. “Bo Forsling will be crushing people."
With three games left on their trip, the Panthers will drop the puck with the Canadiens at Bell Centre at 7 p.m. ET.
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