Ryan Greene says NHL debut with Blackhawks was childhood dream come true

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: May 04, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The hard enactment paid disconnected for Ryan Greene of Paradise, who was able live retired his NHL imagination successful the last 2 games of the play arsenic portion of the Chicago Blackhawks.

"It's perfectly insane. It's everything you imagination of arsenic a kid," Greene told CBC News this week from Boston.

"You've been wanting that infinitesimal for your full life. And then, you know, getting acceptable to spell retired for your rookie lap, you … finally propulsion connected an NHL jersey and you're looking astatine the Blackhawks logo. It's just, like, it's crazy."

Greene, 21, signed a three-year declaration with the Blackhawks in April. He cracked the lineup for the large league nine astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth successful games against Montreal — with fellow Newfoundlander Alex Newhook on the other side — and Ottawa.

But the process of making his debut was a whirlwind, helium said. Greene had signed his archetypal nonrecreational declaration conscionable hours aft completing his collegiate career astatine Boston University. The squad had mislaid a nationalist title the nighttime before.

"It was beauteous hectic. But obviously, you know, a truly breathtaking clip for maine and my family. So I'm conscionable truly thankful that they were each capable to beryllium determination for erstwhile I signed the contract, and past they were determination for some games," helium said. "I wouldn't beryllium successful this presumption without a batch of people."

Greene credited his Chicago teammates for giving him a lukewarm invited and helping him accommodate to the velocity of the crippled astatine the NHL level.

He joins a increasing database of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to marque it to the large leagues.

"I grew up, you know, idolizing players similar Teddy Purcell and, you know, adjacent guys similar Alex [Newhook] and Dawson [Mercer] who are person to my age," helium said.

"They've conscionable benignant of paved the mode for, you know, young hockey players successful Newfoundland. So to get to play against Alex successful my archetypal crippled was … a precise chill moment."

Greene volition walk astir of the summertime grooming astatine Boston University. He says he hopes to return home to Newfoundland for immoderate clip off.

Looking up to adjacent year, a spot connected the Blackhawks roster isn't guaranteed. Greene says he'll request to gain it.

"I'm evidently going to effort to spell into campy adjacent twelvemonth and marque a beardown impression."

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