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Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight has entered the participant help program and shall be away from the staff indefinitely, the NHL and NHL Gamers’ Affiliation announced Friday.
Knight will proceed to be paid whereas receiving therapy and won’t be able to return to on-ice competitors till cleared to take action by this system’s directors.
The participant help program, based in 1996, is on the market to all gamers and their households and helps these scuffling with psychological well being, substance abuse and different issues.
Knight was chosen by the Panthers thirteenth total within the 2019 NHL draft out of Boston School.
The Connecticut native made his NHL debut throughout the 2020-21 season as a 19-year-old and has appeared in 21 video games for the Panthers this season, posting a 9-8-3 report with a 3.18 goals-against common, .901 save share and one shutout.
Knight was assigned to the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday alongside ahead Grigori Denisenko.
The Panthers will depend on Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Lyon between the pipes in Knight’s absence. Florida sits fifth within the Atlantic Division with a 29-25-6 report.
Due to privateness legal guidelines, a participant’s reasoning for coming into the participant help program will not be launched.
The NHL and NHLPA’s participant help program has been utilized by gamers extra usually in current seasons.
In October, Detroit Crimson Wings ahead Jakub Vrana entered this system and wasn’t reinstated till December. When he was cleared to return, Vrana didn’t reveal why he entered this system, telling reporters it was a private matter.
Moreover, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Worth used this system final season and later revealed he entered it for assist with substance abuse and psychological well being.
“Over the previous couple of years I’ve let myself get to a really darkish place and I did not have the instruments to deal with that battle,” Worth mentioned in a statement. “Issues had reached a degree that I noticed I wanted to prioritize my well being for each myself and for my household.
“Asking for assist whenever you want it’s what we encourage our children to do. And it was what I wanted to do.”
In the event you or somebody is in instant disaster, name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for twenty-four/7 entry to a educated counselor. You can even contact the Disaster Textual content Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. For extra details about ongoing help and psychological well being sources, contact the HelpLine on the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or emailing data@nami.org.