SUNRISE, Fla.– Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Mackie Samoskevich on a one-year contract.
“Mackie is a talented young forward who demonstrated skill and maturity well above his age in his first full NHL season,” said Zito. “He showcased his ability to slot into any hole in our lineup and find success this past season, which is a testament to both his play and character. We look forward to seeing him compete in our organization for years to come.”
Samoskevich, 22, produced 31 points (15-16-31) in his first full NHL season with Florida in 2024-25, skating in 72 games. His 15 goals were seventh most by a Panthers rookie in club history and fourth most by a U.S.-born rookie in 2024-25, while his 31 points finished fifth in that category and tied Jonathan Huberdeau’s in 2012-13 for the eight-most points by a rookie in franchise history. Five of his 15 goals were game winners, matching Carter Verhaeghe for the team lead. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Samoskevich notched an assist in his playoff debut in Round 1, Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and skated in four total postseason contests to help the Cats secure their second consecutive championship.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward has played in 79 regular season games with the Panthers between 2023-24 and 2024-25, as well as 64 American Hockey League games with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, from 2022-23 to 2023-24 amassing 56 points (22-34-56). In his first full professional season with the Checkers in 2023-24, he led the team with 22 goals and 54 points (22-32-54) over 62 games.
The Newtown, Conn., native appeared in 79 total games with the University of Michigan over two seasons (2021-22 to 2022-23), amassing 72 points (30-42-72). In his first season with the Wolverines, he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after producing 29 points (10-19-29) over 40 total games. He was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after posting four points (3-1-4) over four tournament games to help Michigan capture its first Big Ten title since 2016.
Prior to his collegiate career, Samoskevich appeared in 85 United States Hockey League (USHL) games over parts of three seasons (2018-19 to 2020-21) with the Chicago Steel, recording 73 points (26-47-73). In his final USHL season, he produced 10 points (1-9-10) over eight postseason games to help the Steel earn a Clark Cup championship.
Selected by Florida in the first round (24th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship and the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
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