Rangers’ Brennan Othmann looks the part in impressive NHL debut
With fourth-line winger Tyler Pitlick sidelined due to a lower-body injury, the Rangers made a surprising move this week, calling up top prospect Brennan Othmann from Hartford to slot into the lineup.
Othmann put together a strong showing in training camp and preseason action, but he was sent to Hartford to start the campaign, where he put together nine goals and 23 points to begin his first pro season.
Just a few months later, though, the youngster arrived at Madison Square Garden to take the ice for his NHL debut hours before his 21st birthday.
“It was really exciting to play in my first game,” he said following the 4-1 win over Chicago. “You only get your first game once. I’ve been working 20 years for this, so I just wanted to go out there, enjoy the moment, play my game and have fun.
“I was a little nervous my first couple of shifts but Jonny [Brodzinski] and Bones [Nick Bonino] did a good job of calming me down. All the boys were so warm and welcoming all day, it’s a good early birthday present and always good to get two points.”
Othmann, who has mainly played on the top line with Hartford, started things out in the bottom six for New York. He quickly worked his way up the pecking order, though, as he ended up being double-shifted with first line winger Blake Wheeler in the penalty box after a third-period fight.
Even when he was out there with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, the top prospect looked like he belonged, as he created numerous scoring chances and finished with a team-high five shots on goal and three hits across 12:26 of ice time.
That shoot-first mentality and physicality is exactly what Othmann is hoping to bring to the Rangers’ lineup -- however long his stay may be.
Though the former first-round draft pick wasn’t able to find the scorers sheet during his first career game, he certainly caught the attention of his new teammates and coaches with his impressive showing.
“I noticed him all night,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “His speed, his skill, his ability to create. He had at least half a dozen attempts at the net and some good scoring chances, so I noticed him pretty consistently.”
"For his first NHL game I thought he played awesome," Vincent Trocheck added. "He did all the right things. He was taking the body, had a few shots on net and a couple of great chances. It was just a really good debut for the kid. I think there’s a big future ahead for the kid."
