Florida

Flyers' Gostisbehere Invites Stoneman Douglas Hockey Team to Panthers Game

Shayne Gostisbehere of the Flyers will host members of the Stoneman Douglas hockey team on Sunday

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who attended Stoneman Douglas High School, has invited the school's hockey team to join him at their game against the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

The Flyers will be in Sunrise to take on the Panthers, just a short distance from the school where last month's mass shooting took place. Gostisbehere attended the school for two years and comes from Pembroke Pines.

Stoneman Douglas' hockey team captured the Lightning High School Hockey League Tier 1 state title last week. The championship came just 11 days after the February 14th shooting at the school. Gostisbehere echoed the thoughts of many local residents with his comments about the team's victory.

"Just to see how they won it, they didn't win a game in the round robin and then they came back. ... The way they handled themselves, it was pretty cool to see," said Gostisbehere.

The 24-year old left Florida after his two years at Stoneman Douglas, but he still has local connections. Gostisbehere's grandparents live near the school.

Even though Gostisbehere did not play hockey at Stoneman Douglas, he still knew some faculty there, including football coach Aaron Feis. The coach perished during the shooting, along with 16 others.

The Panthers have a patch on their jerseys, as well as a decal on their helmets in honor of the lives lost. Florida will continue to wear those items for the remainder of the season

Sunday's game will begin at 3 p.m.

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