Cody Eakin Impresses During First NHL Game

Eakin skates during his first NHL game. Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images.

November 1st, 2011 will always been a special day for Cody Eakin – it was the day of his first NHL game.

Luckily for him, it is a great game to look back on. After getting into a three goal deficit, the Capitals made a late comeback to win 5-4 in overtime.

While Eakin didn’t register any points, he had three major scoring opportunities including a chance at a game-tying goal. He was also credited with one hit and one blocked shot. Many people, including Coach Bruce Boudreau, were impressed with the way he handled himself, not showing many signs of nerves or jitters.

The announcement was made Monday morning that Eakin had been recalled by the Capitals. It was an unexpected call that he received while he was in a movie theater. He told Mike Vogel before the game that he did finish the movie before making the trip to Washington. (For the record, he liked the storyline of the movie.)

It was a nice vote of confidence from the coaches when he started the game on a line with Marcus Johansson and Alexander Semin. By the end of the game, Eakin racked up over thirteen minutes of ice time, more than Matt Hendricks and Mathieu Perreault.

It’s a big milestone for the 20-year-old to put under his belt. So far, he is definitely making the most of his time with the parent club.