HUGE BOOST: Florida Panthers Agree to Terms with Dynamic Forward to a One-Year, Two-Way Contract
The Florida Panthers’ General Manager Bill Zito announced today that forward MacKenzie Entwistle has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the team. Entwistle, 24, set a personal record by appearing in 67 games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season, matching his career-best with five goals (5-6-11). His 139 hits ranked third among Blackhawks forwards, and he accrued 47 penalty minutes, also placing third on the team.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 205 pounds, Entwistle hails from Georgetown, Ontario. He has played 193 NHL games exclusively with the Blackhawks from 2020-21 to 2023-24, tallying 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists). Additionally, he has competed in 80 games for the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago’s AHL affiliate, where he accumulated 39 points (15-24-39) from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
Before turning professional, Entwistle spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Hamilton Bulldogs (2015-16 to 2018-19) and Guelph Storm (2018-19), registering 134 points (61 goals, 73 assists) in 220 regular-season games. He captained the Hamilton Bulldogs during the 2018-19 season and won consecutive OHL titles with Hamilton (2017-18) and Guelph (2018-19).
MacKenzie Entwistle signs a one-year, two-way contract with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. #Blackhawks https://t.co/tgQ2fULpfk
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) July 2, 2024
Internationally, Entwistle represented Canada at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2019 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, leading Canada with four goals and seven points at the 2017 U18s.
Entwistle was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round (69th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.