Auspicious 1st games for players with new NHL clubs

[Moose Head]

Ryan Poehling had a hat trick his first game in the nhl, plus scored in the shootout. Promising start for a pretty meh player.

 

[Soundgarden]

Steve Sullivan scored a hat trick in a very memorable game vs. San Jose in his first game as a Predator and had 10 points in his three.

 

[buffalowing88]

I remember Steve Bernier was picked up by the Sabres during the 2008 TDL. The next day he played in a home game against Nashville and immediately scored the first 2 goals of the game, walloped Tootoo in an open-ice hit that led to a couple of fights, and assisted on another goal later. I thought we had found this power forward diamond-in-the rough.

We had not.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I remember Steve Bernier was picked up by the Sabres during the 2008 TDL. The next day he played in a home game against Nashville and immediately scored the first 2 goals of the game, walloped Tootoo in an open-ice hit that led to a couple of fights, and assisted on another goal later. I thought we had found this power forward diamond-in-the rough.

We had not.

I still remember Rick Jeanneret’s call from that game. “Welcome to Buffalo Steve Bernier!”

 

[DitchMarner]

Totally forgot about Brad Richards' five-assist debut with DAL in 2008.

A little while later, Fabian Brunnstrom had a hattrick (plus a disallowed goal) in his first NHL game. The game was with DAL and that was his first NHL team, so he wasn't fresh off a trade. He received mad hype before his NHL debut. Briefly, it looked like he might live up to it. But it was downhill after that first game.

Clark scored the game-winner in 3-0 win over DAL in his return to TOR:



Obviously that made for a good story.

Unfortunately, in Gilmour's return to TOR, he got hurt about five minutes in and never played again...

 

[Albatros]

Mark Messier was on ice for all three goals and scored one as the Canucks beat the Mighty Ducks in the 1997 season opener in Tokyo:

 

[Avs2022]

I think iJoe Colborne scored a hatrick in his first game as an Avs player (signed, not a trade). Then finished the entire season with like 5 goals or something.

 

[carjackmalone]

Bure with the Rangers

20 goals 12 games after being acquired at the deadline

John Ogrodnick had a helluva fresh start with the nordiquescafter being acquired at the deadline

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Bure with the Rangers

20 goals 12 games after being acquired at the deadline

20 points (12 goals).

 

[vikash1987]

Steve Sullivan scored a hat trick in a very memorable game vs. San Jose in his first game as a Predator and had 10 points in his three.

I remember Sulli's debut with Nashville. Three goals on three shots, all on the PP. Hard to imagine this was over 20 years ago now.