Inside Ben Meyer’s Promising NHL Debut – The Athletic

It’s hard to know what to do with your hands in pictures, and Ben Meyers didn’t seem to know what to do with his at a perfect moment.

After sinking a loose puck with a backhand shot in front of the net, Meyers started raising his arms, then pulled them down as he ran away from the crease. He let out an excited yell. Many of his new fans did the same.

“I’m just blanked out,” he said after the Avalanche beat the Hurricanes 7-4 on Saturday.

23-year-old Meyers is in the middle of a whirlwind. His University of Minnesota career ended on April 8 with the Frozen Four, and as the college’s top free agent, he spent two days interviewing NHL teams. After choosing the Avalanche in a surprise decision, the former Gophers captain flew to Denver Wednesday night and was in town Saturday with his parents and brother preparing for his debut.

And against the playoff Hurricanes, he scored his first NHL goal with his first NHL shot of his second NHL spell.

“Obviously there’s still a long way to go and hopefully I can play many more NHL games,” he said. “That’s just the beginning.”

And what a start. In the moments after seeing the puck cross the line, Meyer’s face lit with pure, unmistakable delight. The faces of the new teammates too.