SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers acquired forward Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, bringing the Naples native back to his home state on a deal that gives the Stanley Cup contender a hard-hitting depth forward at a $1.2 million cap hit.
General manager Bill Zito sent a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a fourth-round pick in 2027 to Philadelphia in exchange for Hathaway and a sixth-round pick, Florida Hockey Now reported. The Flyers will retain 50 percent of Hathaway’s salary on the final year of his contract — a familiar Zito formula of acquiring fourth-line veterans on bargain terms and giving them a chance to revive their careers.
“For a lot of years now, I’ve hated playing against the Panthers,” Hathaway said when he met Florida media Friday. “I think you realize they are winners in how they compete and how they prepare, and how they play throughout the season. I think they play playoff hockey every night. … That’s something I take a lot of pride in. I’m excited about going into each game like it’s the most important game of the year.”
Hathaway, born in Naples before his family moved to Maine when he was an infant, posted just 1 goal and 2 assists last season in Philadelphia. A season earlier he had 10 goals, and his career high was 14 with Washington in 2021-22. The production dip makes the low cap number palatable for a Panthers roster already pressed against the salary ceiling.
The 34-year-old is no stranger to the Panthers’ locker room. He was a teammate of Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett in Calgary and briefly played alongside Brad Marchand in Boston during the 2022-23 season. “To see the familiar faces — to see Marchy from Boston even for a short period of time — it’s already a welcome sight,” he said. “I know their personalities. I know how dedicated they are to their craft, to their teammates and to winning.”
Hathaway’s closest brush with the Stanley Cup came with the league-leading Bruins in 2023, when he was on the bench as Carter Verhaeghe’s overtime goal in Game 7 ended Boston’s season. “It was an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. Thanks to the Panthers it didn’t happen,” he said. “But it’s something I realized, that opportunity is something that you have to take and grasp. Nothing’s given.”
Now on the other side of that rivalry, Hathaway made no effort to contain his enthusiasm. “I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for that,” he said. “It’s crazy in this league and pro sports — professional hockey — where in a phone call you can change your allegiances so quickly. … Such big dreams to win a Stanley Cup in Philly and now I don’t want that at all. I want to be in Florida, and I want to be raising the Cup with my teammates.”
The acquisition likely signals the end of A.J. Greer’s tenure in Sunrise; Greer, Hathaway’s teammate in Boston during the 2022-23 season, is expected to seek a payday elsewhere. Zito’s roster remains in flux with restricted free agents Cole Schwindt, Donovan Sebrango and Mike Benning requiring qualifying offers before July 1, when NHL free agency opens. The Panthers hold six selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, including picks No. 40 and No. 48 in the second round, with preseason play set to begin Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes.