Gostisbehere invites Stoneman Douglas hockey team to Panthers game

Shayne Gostisbehere is giving his alma mater a special opportunity in the wake of a tragedy.

The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman has invited the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School hockey team to Sunday's game between the Flyers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., according to Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Gostisbehere has been impressed by his alma mater's hockey team, which upset a pair of higher seeds to win the state championship last weekend, less than two weeks after a gunman killed 17 people in the Parkland, Fla. school.

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“The way they handled themselves was pretty cool to see,’’ Gostisbehere said before Thursday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. “Obviously the circumstances were a little rough. And what they did with their medals, bringing (them) to the school for the memorial, was pretty cool. They handled themselves like adults. It was pretty cool to see.’’

He said he's also been impressed by how the students have made their voices heard on the issue of gun control.

"It’s cool to watch these guys stand up for what they truly believe. Obviously, they want some change. It’s cool to see how some of the kids who survived are coming through it and … handling themselves as young adults.’’

Gostisbehere spent two years as a student at Marjory Stoneman before transferring to South Kent, Conn. He'll return home Sunday for the first time since the tragedy.

On the day after the shooting, Gostisbehere - from nearby Pembroke Pines, Fla. - lamented the tragedy, told reporters that he lived 10 minutes from the school, and said his grandparents still live about a mile away.