Spencer Knight

Growing up in Darien, Connecticut, Knight decided to stand between the pipes after watching Henrik Lundqvist; he began playing goal at age ten and developed through local youth programs and prep school hockey. A season at Darien High was followed by a move to Avon Old Farms, where he became the starting netminder in his first year with the team.

Knight spent two standout seasons with the USA Hockey NTDP, registering 59 wins in 78 games and setting a program mark. That form made him the top-ranked North American goaltender ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft, and the Florida Panthers selected him 13th overall that summer — the first time the franchise had used a first-round pick on a goalie. Rather than turning pro immediately, he matriculated at Boston College to play for the Eagles.

At Boston College he collected monthly and end-of-season honours in Hockey East, including goaltending awards and the conference's player of the year trophy in 2021, plus national finalist nods. He ended his collegiate career with a 39–12–3 record, a 2.05 goals-against average and eight shutouts in 54 starts before signing an entry-level deal with the Panthers on 31 March 2021.

Knight made his NHL debut on 20 April 2021, stopping 33 shots in a 5–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets and becoming the first goalie born in the 21st century to play in the league. He also started a playoff game that spring, recording 36 saves in a 4–1 win during the opening-round series versus Tampa Bay. The following seasons saw him split time between the NHL and the AHL as he adjusted to the pro ranks, and he was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for April 2022.

On the international stage, Knight earned bronze with the NTDP at the 2019 IIHF U18 Worlds, then featured at two World Junior Championships: limited in 2019, he played four games in 2020, and in 2021 he backstopped the United States to gold with a 5–1 record, three shutouts and a 1.63 GAA, earning player-of-the-game recognition in the final.