Sam Colangelo scored in his professional debut with the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday
Sam Colangelo made a remarkable debut with the San Diego Gulls, breaking a 2-2 tie at the 12:10 mark of the second period in a thrilling 6-5 shootout win on Wednesday.
The former Chicago Steel forward's first professional goal showcased his remarkable skills and potential.
After San Diego's initial shot was blocked, Colangelo corralled the loose puck, turned, and fired a wrister from the high slot through traffic and into the back of the net.
His teammates immediately came over to congratulate him on the accomplishment before skating over to the bench with the rest of his team.
"He made an impact right away with his skating, his size, his physicality, and his shot. That was apparent from the beginning," said San Diego head coach Matt McIlvane via the team's YouTube page. "I thought that he picked up system play pretty quick, and he obviously made an impact."
Colangelo was one of the top scorers for the Chicago Steel during his one full season with the team, scoring 28 goals and 30 assists in the 2019-20 season. His 58 points made him the third-highest scorer on the roster that year.
After spending three seasons at Northeastern, where he tallied a career-high 12 goals and 27 points as a sophomore, Colangelo transferred to Western Michigan University, where he experienced his best collegiate season, recording 24 goals and 43 points.
Following Western Michigan's exit from the NCAA Tournament, the Gulls quickly signed the 6-foot-2, 210-pound forward to a professional tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
As a second-round pick, 36th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2020 NHL Draft, Colangelo has a bright future ahead of him, and he could not have drawn up a better start to his professional career.