Jordan Greenway didn’t register a point Tuesday night, but the massive forward still managed to score a hat trick.
Making his National Hockey League debut with the Minnesota Wild against the Nashville Predators in Music City, Greenway skated for his third team on three different hockey levels in a six-week span.
He ended his collegiate career Saturday when Boston University lost to the University of Michigan 6-3 in the Northeast Regional final of the NCAA Frozen Four tournament.
Jordan Greenway, Matt Cullen, Charlie Coyle and Bruce Boudreau on Greenway’s debut, facing Nashville and more. pic.twitter.com/k5lhS9O3lP
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 27, 2018
Last month, Greenway represented the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, becoming the first African-American to play hockey for the U.S. in the Winter Games.
He donned a Wild jersey after he signed a three-year entry level contract Monday. The Wild took the 6-foot-6, 226-pound Greenway in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft with the 50th overall pick.
“It’s been a quick turnaround, for sure,” the Canton, N.Y., native told reporters. “But it’s all something I’ve wanted to do. It’s something I love doing, and I’m just excited to get everything started, excited to help the team out however I can.”
The newest member of the @mnwild Jordan Greenway joins @FSNGorg after one period of play pic.twitter.com/XIvw9M90Ew
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) March 28, 2018
Greenway logged 10:01 minutes of ice time in Minnesota’s 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville, including 50 seconds of power play time and 12 seconds on the penalty kill. He didn’t mange a shot on goal.
He got a taste of the difference between college hockey and the NHL courtesy of a first-period hit from rugged Predators left wing Scott Hartnell.
Keep your head up out there, rook! 😉 A nice welcome to the NHL for Jordan Greenway from #Preds forward Scott Hartnell pic.twitter.com/nLTIN9j9FY
— FOX Sports Tennessee (@PredsOnFSTN) March 28, 2018
Greenway, 21, finished his three years at BU with 28 goals and 64 assists in 112 games. He had 13 goals and 22 assists in 36 games in 2017-18.
In international competition, Greenway scored one goal in five Winter Olympics games; tallied 3 goals and 5 assists on the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2016-17 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal; and notched a goal and 6 assists at the 2014-15 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship to help power the U.S. to gold in that tournament.
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