It’s picture day at the Florida Panthers Ultimate Hockey School at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, and every boy and girl in attendance is hoping to get a spot close to “Coach Mike.”
A special guest instructor at the weeklong summer camp, Panthers rookie defenseman Mike Matheson is sitting happily at center ice, surrounded by a giddy group aspiring young hockey players, all of them grinning ear to ear as they wait for the camera’s flash to go off.
It’s a heartwarming moment, one that speaks not only to the promising growth of hockey in South Florida, but also to Matheson’s own personal growth from a prospect into a professional over the course of last season.