It’s safe to say that Gabe Perreault is ready for the NHL.
In his professional debut on Wednesday night, Perreault shined bright as the New York Rangers came away with a 5-4 victory.
Perreault recorded 13:38 minutes playing on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière while also serving a role on the second power-play unit.
Throughout the night, the 19-year-old forward displayed his impressive speed and vision. He even made a couple of nifty-looking passes, something he was known for during his time at Boston College.
Peter Laviolette was singing Perreault’s praises following the game.
“I thought he was really good,” Laviolette said of Perreault. “You can see his game and the way he thinks the game out there. I thought he jumped in and looked good. I thought all four lines were really good. It was balanced, and we were able to roll them out there.
“They all contributed. I thought he played a solid game, jumping into a big situation like that. I'm sure the next one and the one after that, they'll be a little bit more natural for him, as opposed to the first one. But I thought he played really well.”
For Perreault, playing at Madison Square Garden for the first time is a moment he’ll never forget.
“Super fun,” Perreault said about his NHL debut. “Playing in this building is something I’ve never done before, and to finally get to be able to do it was unreal.”
From the start of the night, Perreault felt the love. Many of his Boston College teammates showed up to support him and were right at the glass during Perreault’s rookie lap.
“I think going out for that first lap and on my first shift,” Perreault said on what the most surreal part of the night was. “Once I got that out of the way, the nerves settled and I just played from there. It was unreal, super happy they came. Wasn’t expecting them to be that close, but I’m glad they got to go down there — it was sick.”
Perreault signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on Monday as he’ll likely be with the team for the remainder of the season.