Spencer Knight on personal leave from Florida Panthers –

SUNRISE Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight will be placed on personal leave from the team and will receive treatment from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Player Help is available to all players and their families. The program helps those suffering from mental health, substance abuse or other problems.

Knight is not believed to be dealing with drug or alcohol related problems.

There is no timeline for the return of the Knights.

According to the NHLPA and NHL press release: Under the terms of the joint program, Knight will continue to be paid during treatment. He will return to the club when the administrators of the program have given permission for the ice competition.

We are all concerned for the Spencers’ well-being, Jordan Neumann, Knight’s agent, told FHN Friday afternoon. The organization has been excellent and cooperative at every stage. We look forward to his return to play in the near future.

Knight was initially assigned to the teams American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte on Wednesday, but his gear was still spotted outside the Panthers locker room Thursday afternoon. Apparently, Knight planned to meet the Checkers in Providence for their game on Friday night.

Now the trade that sent Knight to the AHL has been called off; Alex Lyon will remain with the Panthers for the foreseeable future.

Players who previously joined the program have not been included in the team’s salary cap.

Florida coach Paul Maurice was asked about Knight on Thursday and talked only about Knight going to the AHL to get some games.

Knight has been plagued by illness and injury since December.

It’s so uniquely schedule-based for him and then kind of sickness and health, Florida coach Paul Maurice said.

He just couldn’t get online and was now home for a month and we have these big days. Sergei plays a big hand here because he played so well, it’s his ball.

Spencer needs to get a bunch of reps here. He has to get a bunch of pucks shot at him. So we have two weeks of four games, which we have at the end of March, when we need two goalkeepers to play. It leads to a schedule that says you’ve got a guy hot, ride him.

PANTHERS ON THE STAND

BUFFALO SABERS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When:Friday, 7 p.m
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming:Bally Sports Florida; ESPN+
• Radio:WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Live Stream:SiriusXM 932
• Season series (Florida leads 2-0): Panthers 4, Sabers 3 (Oct. 15); Panthers 4, Sabers 1 (January 16)
• Last season:Florida won 3-0
  
• All-time regular season streaks:Florida leads 53-44-8, 4 ties
• Next up for the Panthers: Feb. 28 at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m