Panthers’ Sam Reinhart Named To First NHL All-Star Game

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is an All-Star. 

The 28-year-old was named an NHL All-Star  for the first time in his career on Thursday.  

The All-Star nod was much deserved for Reinhart — who in year nine — is having the best season of his career. 

Reinhart has been the most consistent Panther this season, leading the team in scoring with 45 points in 37 games. He is also third in the NHL with 24 goals.

This section has been a long time coming for the Panthers’ forward. Prior to Thursday, Reinhart had never been named an All-Star despite hitting 20-plus goals in eight of his nine seasons — including this year.

Since joining the Panthers in the summer of 2021, Reinhart has put up the best offensive numbers of his career, scoring at least 30 goals in each of the last two seasons. He is currently on pace to shatter his career-high of 33 goals (set in 2021-2022).

All 32 teams had one player selected by the NHL to represent them at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. The remaining 12 spots (eight skaters, four goalies) will be selected through fan vote. 

There’s a few Panthers whose play this season have warranted an All-Star nomination. 

Reinhart’s linemate Aleksander Barkov is over a point-per-game and probably the best two-way forward in hockey right now. Carter Verhaeghe continues to light the lamp as his 19 goals are tied for tenth most in the NHL. Sergei Bobrovsky could also get a shout as one of the East goalie options. 

However, with the few remaining spots, it’s entirely plausible that Reinhart will be the only Panther in Toronto. 

When Florida hosted the All-Star game last year, the Panthers had two representatives, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The duo led the Atlantic Division to the title — while Tkachuk was named MVP of the game.

Reinhart will be representing the Panthers and the Atlantic Division, Feb. 1-3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.