Perreault makes debut with Rangers in heat of playoff race

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- One of the first to reach out to Gabe Perreault after the 19-year-old forward signed with the New York Rangers on Monday was the only player on the team who has walked in his shoes.

Chris Kreider, like Perreault, played at Boston College. Like Perreault, Kreider was selected by the Rangers in the first round of the NHL Draft; Kreider chosen No. 19 in 2009, and Perreault No. 23 in 2023. Like Perreault, Kreider went to the NHL after playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Perreault made his NHL debut for the Rangers in a 5-4 win against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, playing 13:38 with three shots on goal. He played his last college hockey game Sunday, a 3-1 loss to the University of Denver in the NCAA regional final.

"Super excited, obviously,” Perreault said after the morning skate Wednesday. “A special moment for me and my family for sure and obviously a little nervousness, but I know that comes with it [so I’m] mostly excited.

"It was pretty cool (stepping on the MSG ice). Obviously, the history behind MSG and this building is pretty awesome, so to finally step on the ice for the first time was definitely pretty cool."

Kreider, 33, debuted in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Ottawa Senators on April 16, 2012, nine days after winning the NCAA championship and six after signing his first professional contract.

He didn't play in Games 1 and 2 but was practicing.

"I remember it being a bit of a whirlwind," Kreider said. "One minute you're pretty familiar with your surroundings playing college hockey, and then 24 hours later you're in an NHL practice. I think it's a lot of fun, honestly. That's what I remember the most about it; how fun it was and how great the guys were. We've got a really good group here, super welcoming and super helpful. Hopefully he can slow down and enjoy it."

Perreault is in that whirlwind, but like Kreider 13 years ago, he arrives in New York at a critical time.

For Kreider, it was days before the Stanley Cup Playoffs began. Once he was inserted into the lineup for Game 3 against Ottawa, he was a regular, playing 18 games before the Rangers were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.

For Perreault, it's with the Rangers in a race for a playoff berth. With Wednesday's win, they tied the Montreal Canadiens with 79 points. They're both five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the first wild card in the East, with the Canadiens having a game in hand on the Rangers.

"It's been pretty awesome," Perreault said of the start to his week. "Obviously, a tough ending at school, but super exciting to be here. It's been a crazy couple of days, but super excited to help these guys."

He should have an opportunity.

In his first practice Tuesday, Perreault skated on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafreniere and rotated with Will Cuylle on the second power-play unit.

For a playmaker like Perreault, who had 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 37 games at Boston College this season and 108 (35 goals, 73 assists) in his two seasons combined, skating with Miller and Lafreniere and potentially getting power-play minutes should help his transition.

It is what he is used to and the role the Rangers envision him playing for years. It wouldn't make sense for them to indoctrinate Perreault into the NHL by way of a fourth-line role. That's not where he will excel.

"Watching him play, and we saw him play a couple times live and watching him play on TV, you see the hockey sense, the skill and ability," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "This is a chance for him to come and show what he can do. It's just practice, and we'll see where we go with it.

"I think 'Laf' thinks like he does and J.T. is a guy that's been around a long time and can really help mentor somebody on the ice. It's a starting point but I thought they looked good together."

Perreault said it wasn't easy for him to leave college now, but he felt the timing was right and that he was mentally ready to face the challenge he will face in the League.

The Rangers helped make his decision easier because they clearly have an expectation for him to play meaningful NHL games this season. If they didn't, sending him to Hartford of the American Hockey League is an option, but if that were the plan, there's no guarantee that Perreault would have left college to sign when he did.

"Some guys will come in and they'll have an impact right away and then some guys they find a more difficult path," Laviolette said. "The only way to find out is to find out."

The step up in competition will be obvious to Perreault. It was in just one practice.

"It's really super fast," he said.

But Perreault comes to the Rangers with a lot of big-game experience.

He won back-to-back gold medals with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2024 and 2025), finishing with 10 points in seven games each time. He played in the NCAA Frozen Four championship game last season, losing 2-0 to Denver.

"He's played in some high-level hockey, and he's succeeded in all of it," Laviolette said. "This is the next step and the biggest step."

The only player in New York that understands what he's going through has only one piece of advice for him.

"Enjoy it," Kreider said. "Enjoy it and have fun. It is a whirlwind. There is a lot of information being thrown at you, so for him it's just go out and play and have fun."

NHL.com staff writer David Satriano contributed to this report