Florida Panthers make history with Brett Peterson hire

The Florida Panthers have made history by hiring Brett Peterson.

It was announced today that the Florida Panthers have named Brett Peterson as Assistant General Manager, which makes him the first Black Assistant GM in the National Hockey League, according to the franchise.

Frank Seravalli of TSN was the first to report the news.

It is truly a historic hire and a potential seismic moment in the history of the NHL, and it could spark a real sea change in the league and in the sport of hockey in general.

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Peterson played four seasons with Boston College (2000-04) and was part of the Eagles team that won the Frozen Four in 2001, while he played 317 games for Atlantic City, Johnstown, Florida and Phoenix in the ECHL, and 21 games in the American Hockey League for Albany and the Grand Rapids.

Opting to retire after the 2008-09 season, Peterson transitioned into a different side of the game and began to cut his teeth as an agent.

Joining Acme World Sports, Peterson worked with Bill Zito who is of course the new General Manager of the Florida Panthers, before Peterson moved on to Wasserman where he counted Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask as one of his clients.

Now part of a new-look Panthers front office fronted by Zito, who is trying to establish a new culture in Sunrise, Peterson will be tasked with helping to bring a Stanley Cup to Florida and making the franchise relevant in the NHL.

Peterson’s experience as a player agent should help him in his transition as Assistant GM, and he will also be expected to pinpoint high-end studs that can help shape the future of the Florida Panthers.

He will also be called upon to help get the best out of an elite core that has yet to deliver the goods in Florida, while giving Panthers Head Coach Joel Quenneville all the tools he needs in order to succeed.

But, more important is the legacy that this hiring could leave behind and the impact it could have on the NHL.

It is no secret that the league has struggled when it comes to diversity in front offices and on coaching staffs, so Peterson’s hiring by the Panthers represents a momentous step in the right direction.

This historical moment will hopefully spark a seismic change in the NHL in which we will hopefully see more franchises follow in the same footsteps as the Panthers.

This is also a gigantic step forward for the NHL who recently formed an executive council aimed to increase minority participation in front offices and on coaching staffs as part of its anti-racism and diversity initiatives.

Overall, this is a huge day for Brett Peterson, the Florida Panthers and the National Hockey League and it is a move that should be applauded.