BOSTON – Andrew Peeke might owe his NHL career to Stanley C. Panther.
Peeke was 4 years old when his parents took him to a skating event hosted by the Florida Panthers mascot. From there, the Parkland, Florida native fell in love with hockey and, in turn, fell in love with the Florida Panthers.
That love was fostered by his father, Cliff Peeke, a Michigan native who had a season ticket to the Panthers. Andrew practically grew up going to his stadium in Sunrise, watching exciting, if not always successful, hockey.
“As a fan, there weren't a lot of playoff games or playoff atmospheres, so obviously being a fan at that time was difficult,” Peeke said.
A lot has changed since then. Florida Stadium is packed for home games. The Panthers are Stanley Cup contenders. And Andrew Peeke is now against them.
They have to, because they're trying to end their season.
Peeke is the defenseman for the Boston Bruins, who face the Panthers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. He spent most of his life waiting for one of the league's least successful franchises to finally find success. He's now trying to help his team avoid it.
“Being able to see that building full and the passion [Panthers fans] “I have… right now, that's not what I care about,” he said. “Right now, I'm trying to knock them out in the next two games. Be able to basically say 'fuck you guys.'”
Peeke, 26, was acquired by Boston from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade on March 8. It is his fifth season in the NHL, limited to 38 regular-season games due to injury. He has played in the first three postseason games of his career with the Bruins, including Game 3 against his boyhood team, the Panthers.
“It's great. If you were going to tell me, young man, that I played against this team one day, I would say 'no way,'” he said. “But to be in this place, obviously playing for the Bruins and having that honor, it's pretty special. For it to be against your hometown team makes it even better.”
WHEN NHL PLAYERS When they talk about facing the team they cheered for as young fans, they're usually talking about someone who used to wear Maple Leafs pajamas. It's not typical for someone to cheer for Ed “JovoCop” Jovanovski, Peeke's favorite Florida Panther, in an arena where fans throw rubber rats across the ice.
(For the record, Peeke said he's never thrown one. Or at least he doesn't think he has.)
Peeke is one of nearly a dozen current NHL players with roots in Florida, some of whom also grew up as Panthers fans. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere idolized Pavel Bure when he was a kid. Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun played in the Florida Jr. Panthers program. So did Colorado Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime, a Coral Springs native who grew up a die-hard Panthers fan.
Like many Florida-born players with plans for a professional hockey career, Peeke left the state at age 15 to hone his skills and gain the attention of the hockey world. He credits his parents for making the financial sacrifice to send him to South Kent High School in Connecticut. From there, he played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL before being drafted by the Blue Jackets No. 34 in 2016. He played three seasons for the University of Notre Dame and was the team captain in 2018-2019. He made his NHL debut the following season.
Could he have forged that path if he had stayed in Florida?
“It's hard to say. I don't have a crystal ball, but every year you stay in Florida past a certain age, it becomes more and more unlikely,” he said. “If you're a scout, you probably don't go there as much as you come to see players in Boston.”
That could change over time. According to USA Hockey, participation numbers in Florida continue to trend upward: Over the past five years, the number of 15- and 16-year-old players in Florida increased by 28%, and the number of 9- and 10-year-old players has increased. by 32%
The Panthers' recent success will only help that growth. After making the playoffs twice in 18 seasons, Florida has appeared in the postseason for five consecutive seasons, losing in the Stanley Cup Final last season to the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Obviously, being a Florida player, I want to grow the game, so being in the playoffs is a huge thing for Florida hockey,” Peeke said.
Unfortunately, what's good for Florida isn't good for Andrew Peeke this postseason.
“I have a lot of Florida fan friends, so they're divided. But that's their problem,” he said. “I have to focus on wearing the 'B' and playing for the guys.”
