Jack Eichel Makes Debut: ‘I Was Having a Pretty Fun Time Out There’

On Wednesday night, Jack Eichel made his long-awaited season debut, as well as his debut as a Vegas Golden Knight.

While both Eichel and the Golden Knights were held off the scoreboard in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, it was a great sight to see the 25-year-old back on the ice in game action, something that hasn’t happened since last April. Despite the loss, he was in positive spirits after the game.

“It’s good to just get back doing it and honestly, I was having a pretty fun time out there,” Eichel told reporters. “So, I think there’s some stuff to build on, but it’s a process. I know it’s going to get better.”

Head coach Pete DeBoer eased his superstar back, as he had less than 18 minutes of ice time. Despite the lower minutes than he is accustomed to, however, he did play on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov on his wings. Postgame, his coach seemed quite pleased with what he saw.

“I thought he did a good job,” Deboer said. “You saw flashes of what he’s going to be able to do for us. He made some really good plays, did a lot of good things. Great first step.”

Having as much time off as he did, rust was expected from Jack Eichel in his debut, who will likely take at least a handful of games to start feeling comfortable. He and his teammates will be back in action Friday night when they take on the L.A. Kings, a team who only trails them by four points in the standings.