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 one of the candidates for the Conn-Smythe Trophy.
At the media day at T-Mobile Arena, Eichel has a big smile on his face. Sitting at the podium, he calmly answers questions. He does it with obvious happiness.
“It’s surreal. I’m living a finale to my first experience in the playoffs in my seventh season in the NHL, recalled Eichel. But I don’t take anything for granted. Since my debut in the NHL, I have understood that it is difficult to reach the playoffs, even more so the final. The Panthers are also a good example. They got their place at the last minute and they found a way to fight their way into the final.
“There is parity in the NHL. I’m having fun, I’m happy with the Golden Knights.”
If he discovers the reality of the playoffs, Eichel already had a good amount of experience with 476 games in the season and 446 points on his clock. He is part of a small group of eight players which notably includes Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Taylor Hall and Marcel Dionne who crossed the 400-point plateau before playing their first playoff game.
“All teams aim to win. It was no different in Buffalo, the American said. There were years when I felt like we had a good team, but we weren’t winning enough. Sometimes it takes luck too. In Vegas, we didn’t make the playoffs last year. This year we are in the final.
“You learn a lot in defeat,” he continued. I didn’t win the way I wanted with the Sabres, but I had a lot of enriching experiences. I wore the ‘C’ for captaining this team at a young age.”
A shared pressure
The second overall pick at the 2015 auction after Connor McDavid with the Oilers, Eichel quickly received the label of a young prodigy. At 18, he arrived in the Sabers locker room with the mission of putting this team back on track.
At 21, Eichel inherited the role of captain with the Sabers. It was a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a young player. Involved in a dispute with the organization for the choice of neck surgery, Eichel left Buffalo in November 2021 after a monster transaction with the Golden Knights.
In Vegas, number 9 is landed in a very different environment. Overnight, he became a star player among other stars.
“I like it,” he replied. We rely on several players [6] who have won the Stanley Cup within 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 finding him in the Nevada desert, William Carrier had played a season with Eichel in 2016-2017 in Buffalo.
“He doesn’t have the pressure from Buffalo,” Carrier said. He no longer needs to play 25 minutes per game. In today’s hockey, you have to split playing time. We played against Edmonton. The big guns [McDavid et Draisaitl] played 25 to 28 minutes. It ends up catching up with you, it’s too difficult. You need depth within your team. At a good 17 or 18 minutes, it’s perfect for a star forward.
Author of two assists in the 5-2 win in the first game against the Panthers in the final, Eichel leads his team with 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) in 18 games.
“Eichel isn’t just an offensive threat,” Carrier said. He is very good defensively. In my eyes, he is one of the best in the NHL to protect the puck. bruce [Cassidy] also made him a better player.
Eichel and his memories of the 2019 final
LAS VEGAS | Jack Eichel has already watched Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final. He did it in 2019 in the stands at TD Garden in Boston for 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. I live in Boston during the summer. I thought it was a cool experience to have.
“I saw a good friend of mine lift the Stanley Cup in Ryan O’Reilly. I was so happy for him. I learned a lot from Ryan when I started at Buffalo. I saw up close all the emotions of victory. It was a nice feeling even though I was not part of the Blues. I saw the joy in their faces.”
After a second of thinking about it, Eichel said he mostly took away from that rare experience.
“If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that the price of tickets for a final is very high!”
At an average annual salary of ten million, however, Eichel can afford tickets without breaking the bank.
The Blues won 4-1 against the Bruins in Game 7 in enemy territory. O’Reilly finished the game with a goal and an assist in addition to receiving the Conn-Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoffs’ most valuable player.