Press Release

8/12/2003
PANTHERS RE-SIGN RW IVAN NOVOSELTSEV, LW RYAN JARDINE

Florida Also Signs G Travis Scott, C Janis Sprukts & C Greg Jacina

SUNRISE, FLA. - Florida Panthers General Manager Rick Dudley announced today that the club has re-signed restricted free agents RW Ivan Novoseltsev and LW Ryan Jardine to one-year contracts. Dudley also announced that the club has signed free agent G Travis Scott to a two-year deal. In addition, the Panthers have inked C Janis Sprukts and C Greg Jacina to minor league contracts. As per club policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Novoseltsev, 24, skated in a career-high 78 games last season with Florida, scoring 27 points (10 goals, career-high 17 assists) with 30 penalty minutes. In 200 NHL games over his four-year career, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of Golitsino, Russia, has scored 68 points (28 goals, 40 assists) with 98 penalty minutes. Novoseltsev made his NHL debut in 1999, scoring two power-play goals in his first game at Toronto on Oct. 13, 1999. He played junior hockey for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 96 points (57 goals, 39 assists) in just 68 games in his final season in 1998-99. Novoseltsev was selected in the fourth round (95th overall) by Florida in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Jardine, 23, skated in 64 games last season with Florida's AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, scoring 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) with 37 penalty minutes. Jardine played in eight games with the Panthers in 2001-02, notching two assists with two penalty minutes. In 205 AHL games, Jardine has scored 89 points (42 goals, 47 assists) with 131 penalty minutes. Jardine was Florida's fourth choice (89th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Scott, 27, spent the past two seasons playing for the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate in Manchester, N.H. Scott helped lead the Monarchs to the third-best record in Eastern Conference last season, playing in 50 games and posting a 23-19-5 record with four shutouts and a 2.46 goals-against average. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of Kanata, Ontario, played one game with Los Angeles in 2000-01 season. In eight minor league seasons, Scott has compiled a 130-104-25 record with 18 shutouts and a 2.70 GAA.

Sprukts, 21, played 21 games with Sport Vasaa in the Finnish junior league last season, scoring 11 points (five goals, six assists), before rejoining his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, Acadie-Bathurst. In 30 games with Acadie-Bathurst, Sprukts recorded 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) and was +17 with 12 penalty minutes. The 6- foot-3, 224-pound native of Riga, Latvia, was Florida's seventh choice (234th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Sprukts posted 79 points (35 goals, 44 assists) in his North American debut during the 2001-02 season with Acadie-Bathurst, finishing with an impressive +41 plus/minus rating. Sprukts represented Latvia in the 2002 World Junior Championships.

Jacina, 21, skated with the Mississagua Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League last season, scoring 66 points (19 goals, 47 assists) with 114 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 180-pound native of Guelph, Ontario, has played in 246 OHL games since 1998-99, scoring 234 points (86 goals, 148 assists) with 384 penalty minutes. Jacina attended Florida's rookie camp in 2003.

MALARCHUK RETURNS AS PANTHERS GOALTENDING COACH

Clint Malarchuk Will Continue to Instruct Goalies in Florida Panthers Organization

SUNRISE, FLA. - Florida Panthers General Manager Rick Dudley announced today that the club has agreed to terms with Clint Malarchuk to return for a second season as the club's goaltending coach. Malarchuk joined the Panthers on Aug. 21, 2002 and spent last season overseeing the mechanics, techniques and instruction of all goaltenders in the Panthers system.

Malarchuk spent 10 seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres, as well as five seasons in the International Hockey League and 145 games in the American Hockey League. He finished his NHL career with a record of 141-130-45, compiling a 3.47 goals-against average and 12 shutouts. Following his playing career, Malarchuk spent three seasons as an assistant general manager with the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder, before being named that team's head coach for the 1997-98 season. He then spent two seasons as head coach of the Idaho Steelheads of the West Coast Hockey League and spent 2001-02 as goaltending coach for Idaho and the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League.