On Tuesday night in Raleigh, NC, the Florida Panthers will begin their 34th season of hockey, with captain Aleksander Barkov set to make his 13th career Opening Night appearance and defenseman Aaron Ekblad his 12th. Surprisingly, despite playing in more season openers than anyone else in franchise history, neither Florida legend sits atop the all-time scoring list. So, which Panthers players have produced the most points in team's first game of the season? Let’s dive into the numbers.
Panthers' all-time Opening Night scoring leaders
8. Nathan Horton (5)
Nathan Horton was on an Opening Night roster with the Panthers on six occasions from 2003 to 2010 and has five points in those games, including four goals. Horton is one of 16 skaters to score a game-winning goal for Florida on Opening Night.
7. Olli Jokinen (5)
One of the most talented players to ever play in Florida was Olli Jokinen, who appeared in seven Opening Night games from 2000 to 2008. Like Horton, Jokinen has five points, but a reverse stat line: one goal and four helpers.
6. Aaron Ekblad (7)
As arguably the greatest defenseman in franchise history, Aaron Ekblad could have his number retired one day. Heading into the 2026-27 season, he’s collected seven points in Opening Night contests and, if he continues to find the scoresheet, could end up in the top three in this category by the time he retires. Through 11 games, Ekblad has three goals and four assists.
5. Vincent Trocheck (8)
Vincent Trocheck opened the season with the Panthers on five occasions from 2015 to 2020, collecting eight points in those games. His stat line included two goals and six assists, with one game-winner.
4. Brian Campbell (8)
Defenseman Brian Campbell enjoyed playing on Opening Night with the Panthers, picking up eight points in five games from 2011 to 2016. Like Trocheck, he had two goals, six helpers, and one game-winner.
3. Aleksander Barkov (9)
Barkov is on the cusp of becoming only the third Florida player to reach double digits in points on Opening Night. After missing all of last season because of knee surgery, he’s back and set to extend his franchise record with a 13th Opening Night appearance. Offensively gifted and the club’s leader in goals, assists, and points, it’s no surprise to see that in 12 games Barkov has two goals and seven assists for nine points, including one game-winner.
2. Viktor Kozlov (10)
In six Opening Night games with the Panthers, Viktor Kozlov still maintains the best points-per-game average at 1.67. He has 10 points from five goals and five assists with one game-winner. Moreover, based on total time on ice, Kozlov achieved his totals in just 118:12, the third-lowest TOI of any player on this list. Heading into the 2026-27 season, he is the only Panthers skater to score more than four goals in season-opening contests.
1. Jonathan Huberdeau (12)
As the single-season points record holder, it's not overly surprising to see Jonathan Huberdeau at the top of this list. In nine contests from 2012 to 2021, he tallied four goals and 12 points, good enough for a 1.33 points-per-game total. Surprisingly, Huberdeau is the only player in the top four not to score an Opening Night game-winning goal.
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