The veteran defenseman on Wednesday signed a two-year deal to return the Florida Panthers, the team announced. Florida originally drafted the 34-year-old in 2010.
“Alex is a stalwart shutdown defenseman who brings size and depth to our blueline.” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito in a statement. “We are excited to welcome him back to our organization.”
Petrovic had been in the Stars’ organization since the 2021-22 season, but spent most of his first few seasons in Texas down in Cedar Park with the Texas Stars.
Nevertheless, Petrovic became a regular on the Stars’ roster during playoff runs, appearing in 24 postseason games in the 2024 and 2025 playoffs despite playing in just six NHL regular-season games during those seasons.
Petrovic’s reliable role in the postseason earned him a full-time spot on the NHL roster out of training camp last season. He played in 54 regular-season games where he recorded two goals and eight assists and averaged 15:21 of ice time. Petrovic played in just one playoff game this spring.