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Flames rookie Rory Kerins picks up two assists in his first NHL period
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Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Ryley Delaney
Jan 13, 2025, 21:01 ESTUpdated: Jan 14, 2025, 18:10 EST
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What a first period to start Rory Kerins’ National Hockey League career.
It didn’t take long for the newest Calgary Flames player to pick up his first NHL point. Kerins’ first touch of the puck was a nice zone entry before laying it off to Pelletier, who made no mistake in snapping it off the bar and in just 12 seconds into Kerins’ first NHL shift
In a later shift during a 1-1 game, Pelletier scored his second of the game, bashing in a rebound to make it 2-1. Once again, Kerins picked up an assist on the play, picking up the loose puck after a board battle, rounding the net, and passing to Kevin Bahl who shot and got the rebound.
Capping off the first period, another young player in Matt Coronato picked up his 10th goal of the season to give the Flames a 3-1 lead. The 22-year-old now has 11 points in his last 12 games.
Overall, it was an impactful first period for the 22-year-old, as he played five minutes and 12 seconds, or seven shifts. He also registered his first career shot in the first period as the Flames took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. As I was writing this, he picked up a Wayne Gretzky assist on Jake Bean’s goal with a nice screen on the Chicago Blackhawks netminder.
Kerins has been developing for a while in the minors, as the 22-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft by the Flames from the Soo Greyhounds. In his final season in the Ontario Hockey League, he scored 43 goals and 118 points.
His first full professional season came in 2022-23 with the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL, where he scored 17 goals and 37 points in 38 games. Kerins followed up that season with a 16-goal, 32-point season in 54 games with the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League.
Before his call-up to the NHL, Kerins scored an AHL-leading 21 goals, with 34 points in 34 games. Something tells me he won’t be in the AHL for much longer, if at all.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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