Feels
Good luck not crying watching this NHL rookie's parents celebrate his very first goal in his very first game
Getting called up from the AHL to the NHL squad is the ultimate dream for any young prospect, no matter if it's a home game or a road game in a completely empty arena in Arizona. Sometimes, though, all the stars align, just like they did for Minnesota Wild rookie Matt Boldy on Thursday.
Boldy, 20, was born in Milford, Massachusetts, and grew up a few towns over in Millis, less than an hour from Boston. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild with the 12th overall pick in 2019, and played two seasons of college hockey at Boston College before deciding to forgo the rest of his college career. In March of 2021, he signed a three-year entry level contract with the Wild and was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Iowa.
In 24 AHL games across two seasons, Boldy had 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists), and likely would have been called up to the NHL earlier had he not broken his ankle in a preseason game in October. His patience was rewarded in a big way this week, however, when he was called up for the Wild's Thursday night road tilt with... yup, you guessed it, the Boston Bruins, on ESPN, no less.
Boldy's whole family, which still resides in Mass., made the short trip to see his NHL debut, and the kid did not disappoint, sniping his first-career goal late in the second period to give the Wild a 3-1 lead:
Making this one all the more sweeter was the fact it wound up being the game-winner, a the Wild held on to win 3-2, picking up two big points to remain fourth in the Western Conference's Central Division standings. Even better? The whole fam was on hand and their reaction to Boldy's goal was captured on film, and it hits you in every feel imaginable:
You quite literally cannot script it any better, folks. Nothing gets pops screeching like a five-year-old quite like a goal in your hometown in your NHL debut. Also, was that a "f--- yeah!" from mom? Electric, and extremely Boston. What a night for the Boldy family. Going to go cry now.