Jacques Martin News

The Panthers, trying to increase ticket revenue and stimulate season-ticket sales, designated five of their first 16 home games as so-called premium games when the NHL announced its 2008-09 schedule Thursday.

The Panthers won a franchise-record 20 games on the road last season, and they'll need to prove their mettle away from BankAtlantic Center again in November and December to stay in the playoff hunt this ...

The Panthers regard it as good news that the arbitration hearing for Jay Bouwmeester will be held on Tuesday, July 29.

The Stanley Cup seems to have followed Cory Stillman around recently.

Stillman, who signed with the Panthers on July 1, is one of only six players to win hockey's biggest prize in consecutive seasons with different teams. His first cup came in his first season with Tampa Bay in 2004 and, after the lockout season, his second came with Carolina in 2006.

Both of those came in his first season with those clubs. Like the Panthers, the Lightning and Hurricanes had histories of meager postseason success.

The Toronto Maple Leafs named Joe Nieuwendyk the "special assistant" to interim GM Cliff Fletcher, and it's a job they hope he'll grow into, much like the man the Leaf media hoped Fletcher could steal from ...

Forward Anthony Stewart accepted the Panthers' one-year qualifying offer on Wednesday.

In his 20 seasons in the NHL, Joe Nieuwendyk was known as one of the smartest players in hockey.

According to a report on tsn.ca, former Leaf forward Joe Nieuwendyk will meet with Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher this week to discuss joining the team's management group.

Guy Charron said Monday night he would not return as part of the Panthers' coaching staff next season.

Charron, who was an assistant coach to Jacques Martin the past three seasons, said new coach Peter DeBoer told him he would not be retained.

Charron interviewed with DeBoer at the draft in Ottawa less than two weeks ago, as did fellow assistants Mike Kitchen and Pierre Groulx, who DeBoer has decided to keep.

'You always feel, 'why are you not wanted?', but it's fair to allow him to decide who he'd like to work with,' Charron said. 'I respect Peter's decision. I'm not a bitter person. I'll just move on.'

Panthers General Manager Jacques Martin has made it clear he won't be delving deep into the free-agent pool when the market opens Tuesday.

Jacques Martin gets skewered on a daily basis by the self-appointed experts who populate the Panther message boards and feedback forums.

The Florida Panthers agreed to terms with veteran forward Cory Stillman on a three-year contract Tuesday.

New Tampa Bay owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie promised when they were introduced last week to make a big splash in the free-agent market.

Versatile forward Gregory Campbell became one of the Panthers' first restricted free agents to sign an extension with the team Thursday.

The Florida Panthers parted ways with captain Olli Jokinen on Friday, sending the 29-year-old center to Phoenix for a pair of defensemen and a second-round pick in this weekend's draft.

The Florida Panthers signed center Gregory Campbell to a two-year contract on Thursday.

The Florida Panthers have made qualifying offers to seven of their restricted free agents.

Markstrom was the No. 1-rated European goaltender in the draft. ... He helped Sweden's Under-18 team to a gold medal in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Center Olli Jokinen always has insisted he wants to remain with the Panthers, but his agent said Wednesday that with trade rumors resurfacing, Jokinen now cares only that a decision is made.

'All year, pretty much, he's been playing with this hanging over him,' said Mark Gandler, Jokinen's agent. 'He really doesn't want to worry about it anymore. It's going to be what it's going to be. The organization has to make a decision which way to go, and he's fine with whatever the organization decides. ...We would welcome whatever direction.'

Vancouver GM Mike Gillis is looking to make a cultural exchange at this weekend's NHL draft.