It took Airdrie hockey product Jake Neighbours just four games to record his first goal in the NHL.
Coming onto the ice early into the second period against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 23, Neighbours quickly found some space in the slot, and managed to one-time an inside feed from Brayden Schenn past the opposing goaltender to light the lamp and secure his first career goal as a professional hockey player.
“[The coaches] made a really good change, an offensive zone change, and I just jumped on the ice,” the 19-year-old forward recalled of his first NHL goal. “I immediately locked eyes with Shenn there and had a feeling he was going to give me the puck.
“I tried to jump into a hole I saw in the middle of the ice and Shenn did the rest of the work. It was a pretty nice pass into the slot, I had my stick on the ice, and just tried to put it into the net. It was a pretty good feeling.”
The goal put the Blues up 4-1, and they went on to win the game 7-3. After five games, St. Louis is still unbeaten, and sit atop the NHL’s Central Division.
“Obviously, it’s been a pretty cool experience being up here,” Neighbours said of his rookie NHL campaign. “The team is off to a pretty hot start, so I can’t complain and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Originally from Airdrie, Neighbours suited up for the Airdrie Xtreme AAA U15 team in the 2015-16 season, before moving on to play for the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League and the Calgary Buffaloes in the formerly-known Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League.
He was drafted by the Edmonton Oil Kings, and played for the WHL team for four seasons, scoring 47 goals.
After excelling as a forward for the Oil Kings during his junior career, Neighbours’ lifelong dream came true when his name was called as a first-round draft pick in the 2020 NHL draft, with St. Louis selecting him as the 26th overall pick.
Since making the move to Missouri, Neighbours has grown increasingly confident in his first few games at the top of hockey’s hierarchy. In his first five NHL outings for the Blues, he recorded a goal and an assist, and clocked anywhere from 11 to 17 shifts per game. His playing time has ranged from nine minutes on the ice in his debut against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 16 to a high of 11:49 in the game he scored against LA.
Neighbours acknowledged there has been a learning curve since his introduction to the NHL, adding the pace of play is faster than he was used to in the WHL, and the time each player has with the puck before being pressured by a defenseman is much more limited.
“Teams are a lot more structured and they’re on top of you as soon as you get it onto your tape, so that’s something I’ve had to adapt to,” he said.
Still just 19 years old, Neighbours said he is hoping to help out the Blues as much as he can in his freshman NHL campaign. As he is too young to be sent to the minors, he said if St. Louis’ coaches will send him anywhere else to gain more experience, it would be to see out his junior career with the Oil Kings, with whom he still has eligibility.
But having had a taste of life at the top, there’s only one place Neighbours wants to play at the moment – the NHL.
“I’m just trying to do my best and show what I can do in this league…and try to stick around,” he said. “The coaching staff have been happy with me and have been trusting me, sometimes late in the game or during a penalty kill situation, and I think I’ve done my best to take advantage of those opportunities.”
The St. Louis Blues will return to the ice Oct. 28 to face the Avalanche and Oct. 30 to take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
