CHL to NHL: Winterhawks d-man Alscher plays first game with Panthers

Former Portland Winterhawks defenceman Marek Alscher made his NHL debut Thursday night with the Florida Panthers.

In a 5-1 loss to Ottawa, Alscher played 19:28, recorded two shots, one hit and one block.

In three seasons from 2021-24, the Czechia native made 178 appearances with Portland and tallied 66 points (22 goals). He was the 21st overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

Internationally, the 22-year-old won a bronze medal with Czechia at the 2024 World Juniors.

As a pro, he made 104 appearances for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers before his NHL debut.

Florida selected Alscher 93rd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.

✌️ debuting Cats! pic.twitter.com/23RNdtgXbG

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 9, 2026