The Florida Panthers have had their share of players who spent only a brief time with the team but went on to enjoy long careers in hockey—both in the NHL and overseas. One such example is a forward who played just a single NHL season in Florida, yet continued his pro career in Europe all the way through retirement.
During his lone season with the Panthers, the forward scored 8 goals and added 9 assists across 43 games. His time in Florida was brief, largely due to lingering injuries, but he still managed to spend five years in the NHL before heading to Europe, where he played for another eight seasons.
Things improved significantly for the former Panthers forward overseas, where he tallied over 200 goals and found consistent ice time. He averaged just over 40 games per season in Europe—something he hadn’t been able to sustain in the NHL since his rookie years.
Who is the former Panthers forward who just retired?
The player in question is Peter Mueller, who recently announced his retirement after an 18-year career, 16 playing between USA and Europe. While he’s perhaps best remembered for a strong start with the Coyotes and later a stint with the Avalanche, he also spent the 2012–13 season with the Panthers. In total, Mueller appeared in 297 NHL games and scored 63 goals.
As noted, injuries significantly impacted his career, making it difficult for him to secure long-term contracts in the NHL. However, his extended run in Europe—particularly with HC Kometa Brno—showed that he was eventually able to overcome those setbacks and find stability overseas.
Beyond his pro career, Mueller also earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2005 IIHF U18 World Championship and represented the U.S. in 15 games at the World Championships between 2008 and 2014, scoring one goal and recording seven assists.
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