OHL Alumnus Will Cuylle scored his first career NHL Playoff goal with the New York Rangers on Saturday night in Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
From Windsor to New York, Will Cuylle has left fingerprints on the game wherever he's played. Now, he has his first career NHL Playoff goal.
Cuylle spent three full seasons in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, where he was able to make himself an NHL prospect. The New York Rangers selected Cuylle in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft — a draft with many unknowns due to the COVID Pandemic.
In his very next OHL season in 2021-2022, Cuylle broke out at the major junior level with the Spitfires. He wore the 'C' for his club, and put up 80 points in 59 games.
From that season on, Cuylle has been playing and succeeding at the professional level in the Rangers organization.
Cuylle has always been a unique prospect with his size and strength from a young age. He leverages his strength on the ice to drive the puck and to get into high traffic scoring areas, and it helped him score 43 goals in his final OHL season.
The Rangers picked a player who translated almost seamlessly to the professional level, and his transition has been the same from the AHL to the NHL. Cuylle has been an instrumental piece in New York's lineup all season long, and that has continued into the playoffs.
Against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Will Cuylle was able to score the Rangers first goal — his first career NHL Playoff goal.
Though he has been playing on the fourth line in New York, Cuylle's presence has still been felt. In the playoffs, every player needs to bring their A game — and Cuylle has done just that.
The former Windsor Spitfires captain is making a name for himself on the national stage, and he will look to continue to help the Rangers on their impressive playoff run so far this year.