Dylan Peterson Set To Make NHL Debut With St. Louis Blues

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Dylan Peterson was stoked to get his best opportunity to try and make the St. Louis Blues roster out of training camp last month.

So when the Blues sent the 24-year-old back to Springfield of the American Hockey League to begin his third season there and not in the NHL, there was certainly some disappointment but nothing he couldn’t overcome.

A strong start earned Peterson, a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, a recall on Sunday, and the forward is poised to make his NHL debut on Tuesday when the Blues (2-2-1) begin a three-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators (4-1-0).

“So surreal,” Peterson said Monday after practice. “It hadn’t set in until I got here and put the jersey on and went out there for practice. I’ve wanted to wear the ‘Note’ for six years since I got picked. It’s a long time to wait, to work, to get here. I’m full of emotion and I’m so excited.”

Peterson skated Monday on a fourth line on right wing alongside Pius Suter in the middle and Ross Johnston on the left wing and judging by all accounts, he will be in the lineup against the Senators.

“He’s been playing well down there,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said of Peterson. “He is your prototypical fourth line player. We’re going on the road here for three game and we think he’s going to add an edge to our game and more of a fourth-line presence for us.

“He’s got great speed, he takes puck to the net on the outside, he’s got a good release. That’s his skill. It’s not going to be in play-making type areas.”

Peterson has 25 goals, 22 assists in 115 regular-season games with the Thunderbirds, a mix of speed and physicality in his tool shed. But no offense to some of the players that have been put on the fourth line, but Peterson brings more of what’s needed there, which includes more of a chip-and-chase game, something Montgomery wants to see.

“That’s just understanding your role,” Montgomery said. “It’s not an easy game to always chip-and-chase, but it’s always needed.

“If you look at the good fourth lines in the history of this game that give a team an identity, we had one two years ago where (Alexey) Toropchenko, (Radek) Faksa and (Nathan) Walker knew exactly what they were and they played north and it just brought momentum to us every shift.”

Peterson, who played four years at the prestigious Boston University from 2020-24, has put in a lot of work and waited an awfully long time to get his moment, which it looks like is here.

“Worth it. It’s been worth it, every second,” Peterson said. “Playing in the American (Hockey) League the last two years, it’s not an easy league to play in, but I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot. I put a lot of work in. To see it come together like this has been very rewarding.

“As a player and person, I’ve developed a lot. On the ice I’ve learned how to manage the game, stand up for my teammates, stick up for myself. So with all those things, they said go back down there, put your head down and go to work and that’s what I did and it didn’t take too long (to get back to the NHL). I’m very grateful and I’m very blessed.”

A Roseville, Calif. native, Peterson will be represented by a number of family and friends, including his parents Vlaine and Angela along with sisters Justine, Cassandra and Tessa.

“We just played Laval (Saturday night) and a couple minutes after the game, ‘Otter’ came and grabbed me, pulled me in his office and told me. It was a really special moment,” said Peterson, who also fought in the game Saturday. “… I’ve got a lot of family. I played in Ottawa quite a bit growing up. It’s a lot of family and friends and it’s just going to be really special to share that with them.”

And should Peterson need some teammate guidance, there are plenty to keep him guarded.

“He looked good at camp. He earned the call-up,” Johnston said of Peterson. “He did everything he could. He fought, he finished checks. He’s deserving everything he gets here and hopefully he gets a crack at it tomorrow. He plays straightforward, physical and if we’re together, it should be a fun night.

“At the end of the day, it’s your first NHL game. No matter what I say, you’re still going to be nervous, and you’re still going to live off all the adrenaline. You’ve kind of just got to let him figure it out, let him ride the wave and enjoy the experience. There’s no sense in filling him with a whole bunch of information and so on. It only happens once and it only happens once for him and his family. I’m here if he needs anything; I already told him that, but enjoy the whole process. It goes by fast.”

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