This season thus far has been a rough one for the Ottawa Senators. It was known that this season would be a bit of a rebuild and young stars would get opportunities to prove themselves.
One of those young stars, Drake Batherson, was the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He was impressive in training camp and all the signs pointed to him getting a roster spot, however, the 20-year-old was a late cut.
Thankfully, Drake came out strong with the Senators AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, and earned his first NHL call-up last week, and he did not disappoint.
Halfway through his first game, he scored against the Detroit Red Wings, breaking a 1-1 tie.
Drake Batherson just netted his first career goal in his first career NHL game, and his family was fired right uppic.twitter.com/qpBhNei6TQ
— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) November 16, 2018
While Drake celebrated on the ice with his teammates, his family and friends in the stands threw their own celebration. Their support got him where he is today, and they sure enjoyed this moment as much as he did.
To sweeten the deal, Drake’s goal was the game-winner as the Senators hung on for a 2-1 win. Batherson was named first star of the game, too. Talk about a memorable debut!