“You hear about the group, what they do together on the ice and off the ice, you hear so many good things about it,” said Jeff Petry about why answering the Panthers’ call was a “no-brainer“. When you see how tight-knit the Florida squad seems at everything they do, you’d understand why the veteran defenseman feels excited to be part of that locker room. And it seems like the Cats are already getting the ball rolling to make the Ann Arbor, MI, native a part of their off-ice shenanigans.

From hitting Dairy Queen before big games to executing hits on the ice on each other’s behalf, the Panthers almost always have the backs of their comrades covered. And now, with Petry being named the latest Panthers signee, he could also become someone with his personal NHL hitmen on call. But as they say, one step at a time!

The Florida Panthers’ digital content manager, Jameson Olive, revealed how Jeff is already being made to feel like a part of the team by Matthew Tkachuk & Co. In an X post from July 3, Olive wrote, “Petry says he’s already received a lot of texts from his new Panthers teammates.” Among others, Chucky has apparently reached out to his newest squad-mate.

“On his text from Tkachuk: “He said ‘I’m glad to have you on the team. I hated playing against you. Looking forward to playing with you and having fun this year,’” the post read further. Could this be a subtle invitation to join Tkachuk and the rest of the Florida camp in the (in)famous Panthers’ group chat as their journey now begins toward the elusive three-peat? Could be!

A seasoned veteran with over 15 years of playing experience with various franchises, Petry reportedly signed a 1-year $775,000 contract with the Panthers on Tuesday. Coming off a rather disappointing season in Detroit, it was justifiably a pretty easy call to make for the defenseman, especially considering Petry missed 31 games after an undisclosed injury in February.

Moreover, with Nate Schmidt signing a 3-year deal with the Utah Mammoth, the Panthers also had a void in their blueline that needed immediate filling. And that was an opportunity that Jeff Petry didn’t want to see pass by. “An important part of my decision was wanting to be in the playoffs, wanting to compete for a Stanley Cup again. I always said, before my career is over I want to be in that position again and be on a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup. Coming to Florida, that gives me a very good opportunity to do that,” the 37-year-old said in a statement.

With Dmitry Kulikov to aid him in his new team, Petry just might be the quick fix the Cats needed to make up for Schmidt’s departure. But it’s still a long way before the 2025-26 season starts. And the Panthers might have the perfect way to get Petry acquainted with his new camp.

Jeff Petry could follow Brad Marchand’s footsteps in cyberspace

The Florida Panthers’ group chat is something that will probably go down as part of NHL lore. That’s the place where the players bond and get to know each other when they’re not working together to win matches on the ice. When ex-Bruins captain Brad Marchand came to Miami in March, it was the group chat that helped to break the ice between the hardened winger and the rest of the Cats’ locker room.

“As soon as we added him in the group chat, he was chirping. His first message with a chirp, right away. You love that. It breaks the ice,” said Sam Bennett about how Marchand stormed into the group chat with his signature aura and instantly hit it off together, despite their illustrious history in the League. And that lucid interaction instantly paid off. The 2025 postseason kicked off just weeks after Marchand’s arrival in Florida. And yet, the 37-year-old managed to bag quite a few NHL records in the Panthers’ colors.

With the Panthers re-signing most of their Stanley Cup-winning core members, including Bennett, Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad, Petry should rest assured knowing that the Florida franchise has its eyes set on retaining the Cup in Sunrise next season as well. But how well will he be able to execute his tasks to aid in that goal? Do you think adding him to the group chat could be the first step toward reaching the perfect cohesion inside the rink for the Panthers? Tell us in a comment!