Vilmanis, who was in the second line of forwards in the Panthers’ last test match, had a productive preseason, notching three accurate shots and two assists. The 20-year-old Latvian will start the season in the AHL team Charlotte “Checkers”.
“Shift by shift, he’s going to learn the skills and adjust to the intensity of professional hockey. He’s a good skater with a good shot,” Panthers head coach Paul Morris said of Wilman.
In the 2022 NHL draft, the Florida “Panthers” acquired the right to him. Vilmanis was selected in the fifth round with the overall number 157.
Last season, the forward scored 48 goals and 46 assists in 76 matches in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), representing the Sarnie “Sting” and the North Bay “Battalion” teams. Vilmanis played two consecutive seasons in the OHL.
Before going to North America, Vilmanis was previously under the wing of the Swedish club “Luleo” and scored 18 goals and 14 assists in 45 matches for the U-20 team last season. He spent part of the 2020/2021 season in the “Riga” team of the Russian Youth Hockey League (MHL).