The Panthers had made a visit there last year but that involved a ball hockey clinic.

This time they staged the NHL's first-ever ice hockey clinic in the Caribbean. 

Barbados is not a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, although Jamaica is.

The Panthers partnered with Icetopia Skating Rink in Wildey, just outside Barbados' capital Bridgetown, launched last September to give locals the opportunity to try ice skating. 

The visit was led by Panthers defencemen Alex Petrovic and Ian McCoshen.

It also included Shawn Thornton and Randy Moller, the Panthers vice-presidents of business operations and broadcasting & alumni respectively. 

"It’s pretty cool, pretty unique,” Petrovic told NHL.com. 

"It’s a little bit different skating on [the artificial ice]. 

"Some of the kids who come here regularly are actually really good at skating on it. 

"It took myself a couple of minutes just kind of getting used to it.”

Thornton invited one of the students who came along to the clinic to visit Florida to watch a Panthers game and have a private skating lesson from one of their staff.

"This is our second year coming back [to Barbados] and we’ve had a blast,” Thornton said. 

"They’ve been so hospitable and we’ve have had such a good time. 

"We’ve been treated like gold since we’ve been here and we’re trying to return the favour."