FORT LAUDERDALE – In preparation for his first training camp with the Florida Panthers, Kirill Gerasimyuk arrived to the Sunshine State a little bit early in order to get comfortable.
Thanks to that punctuality, the 22-year-old goaltending prospect had a chance to practice with members of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions at the Baptist Health IcePlex.
While it was only for a week, it was an experience he’ll never forget.
“I don’t know how to say it, but the emotions, it was a lot of emotions,” an ecstatic Gerasimyuk said following the opening day of Florida’s training camp on Thursday. “I was here and trained with the Stanley Cup champions, the main team. It was amazing.”
Originally drafted by the Panthers in the fifth round (152 nd overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Gerasimyuk’s