The Florida Panthers will be without assistant coach Mike Kitchen for the return to play program, announcing today that he has opted out. Kitchen released a short statement on his decision:
It was a difficult decision to say the least, but the right decision for me and my family.
Kitchen joined the Panthers this season after spending years alongside head coach Joel Quenneville in previous stops and has the team’s full support in his decision.
A veteran of 474 regular season games as a player, Kitchen has been an NHL assistant coach for most of the last three decades. The Panthers will have to move forward without him as they prepare for their qualification series against the New York Islanders.