Roblin`s Jayce Hawryluk was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, in the second round, 32nd overall by the Florida Panthers.
Since then, Jayce has played in the WHL, AHL and now, the NHL. This past weekend, the 22-year-old was called-up by the Florida Panthers and after years of hard work, he finally made his NHL debut on Saturday. The lights for the game were extra bright as it came on Hockey Night in Canada against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
``I was super excited to get that call, it`s been my dream to play in the NHL since I was really young,” said Hawryluk. “It was thrilling news for my family and me. It was an amazing first experience and it’s something I’ll never forget.”
Jayce played 5:55 in that first game against the Maple Leafs. He recorded two shots and even saw 39 seconds of power play time. The Panthers won the game 4-3 in overtime.
“I honestly expected to be more nervous than I actually was,” added Hawryluk. “I thought after the first shift, I started to settle in and it was just another hockey game.”
So his first game in the NHL was in the books. Three days later, Jayce was set to play his first ever NHL regular season road game against the Buffalo Sabres. Jayce's first two NHL games were against two of the top teams in the league.
Hawryluk played exactly two more minutes in this affair (7:55), all of which came at even strength. Florida trailed 2-1 in the game, but they rallied off four straight goals for a 5-2 win.
“I felt great last night, the nerves weren’t there at all, I just felt really good,” said Hawryluk. “The team played great and we’re hoping to roll with the momentum we have right now.”
Thanks to those two straight wins, the Panthers are now 13-13-6. That has them just seven points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild-card spot.
“My main goal is to help this team win games anyway I can,” said Hawryluk, who is enjoying a day off before the team continues their road trip tomorrow night in Toronto.
“I just have to play smart and within the systems,” he added. “In my role, it’s important to make it tough on the other guys and tire them out, so when our top players are out there, they can go to work and make it happen.”
Jayce’s call-up to the NHL didn’t come by fluke. The 22-year-old was having a fantastic season with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL). He had 28 points in 25 games to lead the team and he was in a tie for seventh in league scoring.
“I had a pretty big off-season and I put in a lot of work and it definitely paid off for me,” said Hawryluk. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised with the success, I was feeling good, confident, and our team was winning games. It was definitely a good start in Springfield, now I’m hoping to make good things happen in Florida.”
Tomorrow’s game will provide Jayce with another opportunity to pick up his first NHL point. He has two shots over his first two games.
“I’m not worried about that what so ever, I just want to help this team win,” said Hawryluk. “If I happen to score a goal or get a point, it’s nice, but at the end of the day, I just want to win.”
After tomorrow, Jayce and the Panthers roll into Detroit to face the Red Wings and they finish their pre-Christmas schedule against the Blackhawks on December 23.