Waterdown native Carter Verhaeghe got his start on the ice playing for the Flamborough Sabres, and is now set to take on the Boston Bruins in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a member of the Florida Panthers.
Verhaeghe joined the Panthers in the 2020-21 season, and has since put up 236 points in 278 games. He said he’s ready for whatever comes his way this week.
“I don’t think it matters who we play, it’s more about us,” Verhaeghe said.
In the five games the Panthers needed to take down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, Verhaeghe put up nine points. He is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for the most on the team.
The centre also leads the team with five playoff goals so far this year.
“I can’t say it’s anything specific in my game,” Verhaeghe said. “I enjoy playoff hockey, I don’t know if it all of a sudden just took off, I think I’ve been building it all year, trying to get better every day.”
Since the Panthers took down the Lightning on April 29, the team has had a week to rest, practise and recover. It’s valuable time that not every team gets, depending on how long a series goes.
The team’s round two opponent, the Bruins, only beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first-round series Game 7 on Saturday (May 4). Plus, Boston had to travel to Florida for Game 1 tonight (May 6).
“We’re mostly just recovering, working on fitness stuff in the gym, some of the guys have minor injuries but nothing major,” Verhaeghe said.
He says he’s looking forward to getting back on the ice.
“There’s another series coming, and we’re in the thick of battle,” he said. “As much as you can relax, your mind is still in it.”
Last season, the Florida Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was an experience that the team is looking to build on this season.
“We’ve added a couple of different players, and we’ve definitely made some improvements. We have a lot more depth this year than last year,” Verhaeghe said. “We’ve been to the final round, a lot of guys have way more experience now and know what it takes. That’s really valuable for our group.”
The Florida Panthers take on the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the second round tonight at 8 p.m.
