First Game, First Win, First Goal: A Victory Of Firsts For The Rangers' Youth

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

First game, first win, first goal.

The New York Rangers’ 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night was headlined by a number of NHL firsts for a few of the Blueshirts’ young players.

The main storyline going into Friday night’s game was the highly anticipated debut of Drew Fortescue, who signed his entry-level contract with the Rangers last week after completing his junior season at Boston College.

Fortescue played a total of 17:23 minutes and recorded his first NHL point, assisting Jonny Brodzinski’s goal in the third period.

“I thought he was solid,” Mike Sullivan said of Fortescue. “For the most part, he played the game with composure. He didn’t just throw pucks away. He made some outlet passes. He had good poise. I thought he had a high-panic threshold. He didn’t throw pucks away when he was under pressure, he protected it. He defended well. I think he’s got a good stick, decent mobility. There’s a lot to like about Drew’s game. For such a young kid in his first NHL game, I thought he played really well.”

In his second NHL game, Adam Sýkora recorded his first NHL goal, on a two-on-one chance with Will Cuylle.

The excitement from Sýkora was evident, as he celebrated with passion, and his teammates were ecstatic for the young rookie, who could be seen embracing him on the bench.

“I couldn’t describe the feeling,” Sýkora said about his first NHL goal. “You play the first game (Wednesday), then you have a goal. I just appreciate every moment here to be around these guys and… help them to win games. And just enjoy every second I got an opportunity to play here.”

Sýkora has spent multiple years playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, creating a reputation for himself as a player who plays with ferocious energy and a personality that is infectious.

That same energy, both on and off the ice, has been felt since the Rangers called him up earlier this week.

“He’s a dog on the bone on the puck,” Sullivan said of Sýkora. “Doesn’t matter what the score is, he’s going to give you 110%… His personality is infectious. You could see the reaction of his teammates when he scored the goal. I think that speaks volumes of what they think of him as a person.”

Dylan Garand was able to notch his first NHL victory in a moment he says that he’ll never forget.

The 23-year-old goalie made 27 saves on 28 shots, and in his two starts since taking over the backup goaltending job for the injured Jonathan Quick, Garand has caught the eye of Sullivan.

Drew Fortescue Slated To Make NHL Debut For Rangers Against Blackhawks It’s been about a year since Drew Fortescue, along with some of his Boston College teammates, were watching Gabe Perreault make his NHL debut for the New York Rangers.

“I thought he looked really solid in there, and that’s the second game in a row I felt that way so. It’s two really good starts for him and I’m happy for him because I know how hard he’s worked to get to this point,” Sullivan said of Garand. “It’s great for our team, it’s great for our organization… The feeling I’ve gotten behind the bench in the two starts that he’s had is that he’s completely in control and he has good composure in there.”

While the Rangers may be eliminated from playoff contention with less than 10 games remaining in the 2025-26 season, this is an opportunity for the young players to make their mark with the organization and prove their worth moving forward.

“I think we’re all hungry,” Garand said. “This is kind of, for some of us, our opportunity. Guys like me and [Adam Sýkora], we’ve been playing in Hartford for a long time and we finally get to play games. We’re hungry and we’re excited to try and help this team win in any way we can. It’s a lot of fun right now.”

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