Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Derek MacKenzie Named Captain Of The Florida Panthers

10/09/2016 at 12:33pm EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. - Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon announced today that forward Derek MacKenzie has been named the ninth captain in franchise history. MacKenzie joins Brian Skrudland (1993-1997), Scott Mellanby (1997-2001), Paul Laus/Pavel Bure (2001-2002), Olli Jokinen (2005-2008), Bryan McCabe (2009-2011), Ed Jovanovski (2013-2014) and Willie Mitchell (2014-16) as the other Panthers captains in the club's 23-year history.

"Derek embodies the type of character and work ethic we want a Florida Panther to possess," said Tallon. "He is a respected leader both on and off the ice in this organization and within the South Florida community. We are very excited to move forward with Derek as our team's captain."

The 35-year old MacKenzie recorded 13 points (6-7-13) in 64 games with the Panthers in the 2015-16 season and signed a two-year contract extension with the club on July 6, 2016.

A veteran of 453 career NHL games, MacKenzie has recorded 95 points (42-53-95) with the Panthers (2014-16), Columbus Blue Jackets (2007-2014) and Atlanta Thrashers (2001-07). The 5-foot-11, 181-pound native of Sudbury, Ontario was originally selected by Atlanta in the fifth round (128th overall) of the 1999 NHL Draft.

Forward Jussi Jokinen and defenseman Aaron Ekblad will serve as the Panthers alternate captains.

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by damndogrevenge in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry Case Solved: The Jagr Bobbleheads Theft - 1 minute ago
Comment by Paul in Abel to Yzerman from the entry The Downward Spiral Continues For The Wings - 5 minutes ago
Comment by Cigar-Nurse in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Quick Recap- Wings/Hurricanes - 1 hour ago
Comment by bezukov in Abel to Yzerman from the entry The Downward Spiral Continues For The Wings - 2 hours ago
Comment by damndogrevenge in Abel to Yzerman from the entry The Downward Spiral Continues For The Wings - 2 hours ago