Panthers place Mackenzie Entwistle on waivers
A pro veteran seems to be heading back to the minors.
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers placed forward MacKenzie Entwistle on waivers on Wednesday, making him available to the other 31 teams in the NHL.
If Entwistle clears waivers on Thursday, he could be assigned to the Panthers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
The 27-year-old started the 2026-27 season on the Panthers’ injured/non-roster list and did not participate in training camp due to an undisclosed injury. It’s only part of an injury history that has plagued Entwistle, dating back to his days with the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
Entwistle hasn’t seen ice in the NHL since his last season with the Hawks in 2023-24. Since signing with the Panthers in the summer of 2024, he has solely been in the AHL. Injuries limited the Georgetown, Ont. native to just seven games during the 2024-25 regular season, though he was part of Charlotte’s run to the Calder Cup Final, where the team lost to the Abbotsford Canucks. He notched just five goals and 11 points in 49 games last season with the Checkers, and went pointless in two postseason appearances, as the Checkers were upset in the first round by the Springfield Thunderbirds.
In 193 NHL games, the two-time OHL champion has scored 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points. In 136 regular-season contests in the AHL, he has posted 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points, with another three points in 10 playoff games.
Entwistle is in the second season of his two-year, two-way contract, which he signed with the Cats in July 2025. The deal carries an NHL cap hit of $850,000 and a minor-league salary of $375,000, with $450,000 guaranteed.
The Checkers have already played twice this season, splitting a pair of road games with the Hershey Bears last weekend.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jansen Harkins and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mikael Pyyhita were the only two players put on waivers on Tuesday. Both cleared Wednesday and can now be sent down to their respective AHL affiliates.
