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rett Peterson remembers one of the first times he came to south Florida wearing the logo of the hometown hock- ey team. To his surprise, the organization that joined the NHL in 1993 was still relatively unknown to many in the local community. That's starting to change as the Florida Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Final last year and remain one of the top con- tenders again this season. Success on the ice will certainly do that. So too does cre- ating an inclusive culture that welcomes everybody to join the party. "The excitement around our sport down here is booming. You see the [Panthers] flags and hockey nets everywhere when you're driving by. It's really an exciting time to be a young person looking at hockey in this demographic," Peterson said. "It's a credit to the players and the ownership and what they've done in such a short peri- od of time and putting all these fantastic people together." Peterson certainly fits into that cat- egory too. Now in his third season as the assistant general manager with the team, the Northborough, Mass., native brings a unique skill set to South Beach and the Panthers front office. Teaming up with long-time friend and mentor Bill Zito, Peterson has helped propel the Panthers into the upper echelon of Cup contenders. And just as many have taken notice of what the team is doing on the ice, Peterson's efforts have caught the attention of others in the game. Recently, the 42-year-old was named the general manager for the U.S. Men's National Team that will compete at the 2024 IIHF Men's World Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia. "USA Hockey reached out and said that this is what they were thinking about doing, and would I have interest in doing it," Peterson recalled. "It was a complete no- brainer when you get an opportunity like that to represent your country and com- pete on a world scale and have the oppor- tunity to showcase the improvements in American hockey." Receiving the call from USA Hockey's John Vanbiesbrouck was somewhat of a surreal moment for Peterson, who attend- ed the first training camp for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in 1996. Even though he did not make the final cut, the experience was a motivating factor in a career that took him to Boston College, where he appeared in 157 games and won a national title in 2001. "I never played for the national program, but I was there for the initial camp and that was pretty much as close as I had gotten to having the opportunity to represent our country," said Peterson, who played five years in various pro leagues before shifting gears to become a player agent. "It's a great feeling. It's kind of like a full circle experience." While this will be his first experience in constructing a national team, Peterson won't have to do it alone. Supporting him in the player selection process will be a collection of NHL general managers that makes up the U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group, which includes Zito, who led the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 2018 tournament. Just as he has leaned on Zito many times in the past, Peterson won't have to look beyond the next office to get some sage advice. "Bill was obviously ecstatic for me to have been given this opportunity," Peterson said. "We had some great conversations On The Prowl On The Prowl On The Prowl 30 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF Florida Panthers; Boston College; Wilkine Brutus /WLRN News B p Brett Peterson chats with Anson Carter about his journey to the NHL. Brett Peterson Feasts On A Full Plate As He Looks To Lead The NHL's Panthers And Team USA To Victory g By Harry Thompson