LAS VEGAS | Jack Eichel had never put his skates on NHL ice for a playoff game before this spring. In his first experience, the 26-year-old center led the Golden Knights to the finals and is a contender for the Conn-Smythe Trophy.
At the media day in the T-Mobile Arena, Eichel has a big smile on his face. He sits at the podium and calmly answers questions. He does it with obvious joy.
“It’s surreal. “I’m experiencing the finale of my first playoff experience in my seventh season in the NHL,” Eichel recalled. But I don’t take anything for granted. Since my debut in the NHL, I have understood that reaching the playoffs is difficult, especially the finals. The Panthers are also a good example. They only got their place at the last minute and found a way to work their way through to the finals.
“There is parity in the NHL. I’m having fun, I’m happy with the Golden Knights.
When he discovers the reality of the playoffs, Eichel already has a lot of experience with 476 games in the season and 446 points on his clock. He’s part of a small group of eight players that notably includes Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Taylor Hall and Marcel Dionne who surpassed the 400-point mark ahead of their first playoff game.
“All teams want to win. It’s no different in Buffalo, said the American. There were years when I felt like we had a good team but we didn’t win enough. Sometimes you need luck too. In Vegas we didn’t make the playoffs last year. This year we are in the final.
“You learn a lot from defeat,” he continued. I didn’t win the way I wanted with the Sabers, but I did have many enriching experiences. I wore the ‘C’ because I was captain of this team when I was young.”
A shared pressure
Acorn was the second pick at the 2015 auction, behind Connor McDavid of the Oilers, and quickly earned the label of a young prodigy. At 18, he walked into the Sabers’ locker room with a mission to get that team back on track.
At 21, Eichel assumed the role of captain of the Sabers. It was a lot of pressure on a young player’s shoulders. Engaged in a dispute with the organization over choosing throat surgery, Eichel left Buffalo in November 2021 after a monster transaction with the Golden Knights.
In Vegas, number 9 lands in a completely different environment. Overnight he became a star player among other stars.
“I like it,” he replied. We rely on several players [6] who won the Stanley Cup in our group. There are several players who have achieved great things in this league. We share attention. I’m not afraid to say it takes the pressure off my shoulders. I think that’s a good thing.”
Before William Carrier found him in the Nevada desert, he played one season with Acorn in Buffalo in 2016–2017.
“He’s not under any pressure from Buffalo,” Carrier said. He no longer has to play 25 minutes per game. In today’s hockey, you have to split the game time. We played against Edmonton. The big guns [McDavid et Draisaitl] Played 25 to 28 minutes. In the end it catches up to you, it’s too difficult. You need depth in your team. With a good 17 or 18 minutes, it’s perfect for a star striker.
Author of two assists in the 5-2 win in the first game against the Panthers in the finals, Eichel leads his team with 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) in 18 games.
“Acorn isn’t just an offensive threat,” Carrier said. He is very good defensively. In my eyes, he’s one of the best in the NHL when it comes to protecting the puck. Bruce [Cassidy] also made him a better player.
Eichel and his memories of the 2019 final
LAS VEGAS | Jack Eichel has already seen Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final. He did it in the stands at TD Garden in Boston in 2019 at the ultimate game between the Bruins and the St. Louis Blues.
“I don’t know what I learned watching that game from the stands,” he said. I was there as a simple partisan. I had friends on both teams. In the summer I live in Boston. I found it a cool experience.
“I saw a good friend of mine win the Stanley Cup: Ryan O’Reilly. I was so happy for him. When I first started at Buffalo, I learned a lot from Ryan. I experienced all the emotions of victory up close. It was a nice feeling even though I wasn’t in the blues. I saw the joy on their faces.”
After thinking about it for a second, Eichel said that for the most part he took something away from this rare experience.
“If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that ticket prices for a final are very high!”
With an average annual salary of ten million, however, Eichel can afford tickets without breaking the bank.
The Blues defeated the Bruins 4-1 in game 7 in opposing territory. O’Reilly finished the game with one goal and one assist, and also received the Conn-Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the playoffs.