17吃瓜

For athletes, few feelings are more comforting than looking up in the stands and seeing loved ones cheering you on.

Zach Biggar will experience plenty of that, as the Portage, PEI native has decided to return home to play for the 17吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Hockey Panthers.

Growing up, Biggar spent countless hours cheering on his hometown team and envisioning the day he would take to the ice as one of them. That dream is now a reality, and Biggar couldn鈥檛 be more excited to play in front of family and friends who have supported him throughout his hockey journey.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big honour for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be able to put on the Panther uniform with a lot of my family and friends being able to come watch games will be a lot of fun and a great experience.鈥�

The Panthers are getting another leader along the blue line in Biggar who served as the Cape Breton Eagles鈥� captain in 2023鈥�24. He finished the season with three goals and nine assists in 61 games, leading the Eagles to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) semifinals for the first time since 2007.

Over his five-year QMJHL career, the 21-year-old played in 226 games, amassing nine goals and 79 assists between the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and Eagles. It鈥檚 clear the talented defenceman can contribute on the offensive end, but Biggar is also an effective lockdown defender who disrupts plays and limits scoring chances for opponents.

鈥淚鈥檓 just looking to do whatever鈥檚 asked of me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not looking to be a hero in any way; I just want to play my role and be someone who can be relied on in all situations.鈥�

Head coach Forbes MacPherson says he鈥檚 looking forward to working with Biggar and welcoming him to the Panther鈥檚 talented young roster.

"Zach is an exceptional defenceman with a well-rounded skill set. He has some offensive upside but doesn鈥檛 sacrifice defensive play,鈥� MacPherson said. 鈥淶ach brings a wealth of Major Junior experience to the Panthers, which makes him a valuable asset in any situation on the ice."

Adjusting to tougher competition in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) is never easy, but Biggar should benefit from reuniting with former teammate and fellow Islander Cole Larkin. The two suited up for the Titan from 2019鈥�2022 and were even paired together in certain lineup configurations. MacPherson will surely experiment with the Larkin-Biggar pairing, but the bench boss just wants his newest recruit to be himself and help the team continue pushing for greatness.

鈥淲e expect Zach to come in ready to go, and we鈥檙e excited to have him in our lineup.鈥�