WHL Stars & NHL Debuts: Winterhawks grad Alscher logs heavy minutes for Panthers

Two seasons after reaching the WHL Championship Series in the Rose City, Florida Panthers defenceman Marek Alscher made his NHL debut in Canada’s capital with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

The 22-year-old took his first strides in the big show on Thursday night.

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

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 9, 2026

Though the Panthers would fall to the surging Ottawa Senators 4-1, Alscher had a strong showing with two shots, a block, a hit and an even rating in 19:28 of ice time.

“It’s sweet and sour,” Alscher told reporters. “First NHL game, that’s big for me. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to win, which… that’d be awesome, but like I said, sweet and sour.”

Two-time Stanley Cup-winning Head Coach Paul Maurice had high praise for the rookie, who debuted alongside another defender, Ludvig Jansson.

“First game, and he played almost 20 minutes,” Maurice assessed. “They’ve got a lot of speed on their team. Really, really happy with his game.

I think Marek got a little more opportunity tonight to play and play against the other team’s best, got up the ice a few times, use the size a little bit. Didn’t look like he was afraid to make a play or trying not to make a mistake.”

Alscher is in his second season of professional hockey after graduating from the Portland Winterhawks in 2024.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound rearguard has piled up 21 points (5G-16A) in 104 regular-season games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers before getting the nod from the big club.

Maurice added that Alscher will likely be back in the lineup as the Panthers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

“Gives me huge motivation,” Alscher said. “I felt like, as the game progressed, I started feeling better. Every period was better and better for me, how I felt, and just gives me huge motivation to work hard and to be here.”

For Alscher, it’s a journey that started years ago in his hometown of Kladno, Czechia.

He made the jump from Europe to Portland after being selected by the Winterhawks with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

Alscher brought a steady presence to the Hawks’ blueline, bagging 66 points (22G-44A) in 178 regular-season games over three seasons.

His sharply detailed play led the Panthers to snap him up in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Alscher’s final season saw Portland claw its way to the 2024 WHL Championship Series.

Though the Hawks would fall to the Moose Jaw Warriors, the youngster still netted five points (2G-3A) in 18 games in a tremendous run and set the stage for future success.

“This is a dream, to play a game in the National Hockey League,” Maurice said. “And it’s not just the player, man, I think the players is not the most important thing. You think of the moms and dads and the families and every amateur coach that had something to do with that young man getting to live a dream. So there’s a lot that goes into it.”

And a lot more to come.

Alscher and the Panthers will take the ice against Toronto on Saturday, April 11, at 5:00 p.m. MT.