On the ice, the number nine in Florida represents Sam Bennett, an all-world center known for his tough style of play and elite playmaking.
However, these days, for the Cats, the number nine signifies the number of Olympians selected from the Florida Panthers.
WATCH WPTV'S COVERAGE BELOW:
"I mean, Rhino got the call back in June, so he was sitting nice and pretty," Brad Marchand said.
While Marchand can laugh now, it's a relief for the future Hall of Famer, who, back in 2014, found out he didn't cut the Sochi Olympics. Now, as he's finally able to represent his home country, he's not taking the moment for granted.
"There's a lot of excitement that goes into these moments. It's special to be a part of, and you don't take them for granted," Marchand said.
Marchand will be joined by teammate Sam Reinhart, who, too, will be on the ice for Team Canada for the first time.
"You could sit here and say so many guys have earned their way on it, out of our control at the end of the day," Reinhart said.
While the selection process for the Olympic team is beyond their control, the team's recent dominance has put the Panthers on everyone's radar.
Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones are set to represent Team USA, Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand are set to represent Canada, the Finland trio of Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola, and wrapping it up with Uvis Balinskis for Latvia.
For nine Panthers to make the roster, Marchand said, is a rare feat that he hopes they all cherish.
"You can tell the excitement that's been around it ever since they announced that we're going to get to go back. There's just such a tremendous amount of pride to be part of that, and we haven't gone in 12 years as a league, and it's no guarantee that we'll go again, so it's an incredible feeling," Marchand said.
As the Florida Panthers chase a third Stanley Cup championship this season, WPTV is along for the ride!
We will be highlighting the team with our new show on South Florida's 9 called "Panthers 360".
Hosted by WPTV anchor Mike Trim, watch the show each Wednesday evening and also streaming at 7:30 p.m.
We will take an in-depth look at the season, break down film and connect with the players and special stories off the ice.
Every Monday at 12:15 p.m. on the WPTV YouTube page, Trim will be joined by different analysts to discuss the latest on the team. We want to hear your thoughts, so post your questions and comments while the live interview takes place!
South Florida's 9 is your home for Panthers hockey all season long!
