Florida Panthers land Naples native Garnet Hathaway in trade with Philadelphia Flyers
SUNRISE, Fla. —
Naples native Garnet Hathaway is heading back to the Sunshine State after the Florida Panthers acquired the veteran forward from the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade, adding one of the NHL’s most physical players.
Hathaway, 34, was born in Naples, Florida, but raised in Kennebunkport, Maine. He played in 66 games for the Flyers in the 2025-26 season and led the team with 252 hits, which ranked ninth most among all NHL skaters last season.
He has appeared in 672 NHL games over the past 11 seasons, including stints with Philadelphia (2023-24 to 2025-26), the Boston Bruins (2022-23), the Washington Capitals (2019-20 to 2022-23), and the Calgary Flames (2015-16 to 2018-19).
Hathaway has ranked in the top 10 in the NHL in hits every season since 2020-21. He ranks second in the NHL with 1,532 hits in that span.
The Panthers said they are trading their fifth-round pick in 2026 and their fourth-round pick in 2027, and Philadelphia will retain 50% of Hathaway’s standard player contract.
The Panthers are looking to have a bounce-back year after missing the playoffs last season, seemingly boosting their chances with the acquisition of left winger Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, ESPN reported, uniting him with his older brother Matthew Tkachuk.
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