Zachary L’Heureux laced up and took to the ice for his rookie lap before a rowdy crowd in “Smashville” on October 22.
The 21-year-old forward, who grew up in Mercier with strong family roots in Huntingdon, played his first game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Nashville Predators at home against Boston on October 22. He finished the game with one shot and 9:59 minutes of ice time, helping his team to a shutout victory over the Bruins and their first win of the season.
Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said L’Heureux was fearless in his debut performance. In the recap posted to the Predators website, Brunette referred to L’Heureux as an intelligent player. “He’s got a really good stick and really good instincts and a really good sense for the game of hockey. I thought he was really good tonight.”
L’Heureux has continued to impress his coach and teammates since his recall from Milwaukee, where he plays with the Admirals in the American Hockey League.
He was in the lineup in Chicago on October 25 to face the Blackhawks, and he notched his first NHL point the following day with an assist against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In an interview with sports broadcaster RDS, L’Heureux admitted he wasn’t nervous before his first game. “I think I was more excited than anything else,” he said. “It’s a moment I have been waiting for since I was very young that I have been working towards,” he added. “When it came to my first shift, I had a smile on my face, and I just wanted to get into the game.”
L’Heureux noted he had a lot of family in town for the game, and said being able to share his first game with them was something he will never forget.
The experience is not something his family will soon forget either. L’Heureux’s grandmother, Diane Neal, recalls getting a call late on the Saturday night before his debut. When a flight to Nashville wasn’t available, she and her husband, Ian, as well as L’Heureux’s sister and boyfriend piled into their car for the 16-hour drive. Once there, they met up with his parents Chavonne Neal and Robert L’Heureux, and a contingent of local fans who had also made the trip.
“We knew it was going to be big, but we didn’t know it was going to be that grand,” says Neal, of being ushered rink-side where they proudly watched the team’s warm up.
“It was deafening,” said Neal of the roar of the crowd as he stepped out helmetless on the ice for his rookie lap. “There were signs all over the arena with his number, 68. It was like, hey, they know this kid. He’s not just a kid from Mercier, Quebec, here. This is bigtime!” she exclaimed.
“He has worked so hard, and he looks darn good on the ice,” Neal added, with a laugh. “He fits in. He’s really done well for himself,” she said with pride. “I’m glad we were there to see it.””