Rangers' Youngster Earns First NHL Goal

The New York Rangers have a budding young star in a Boston College alum.
Dec 18, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) celebrates with left wing Will Cuylle (50) and center Noah Laba (42) after scoring his first NHL goal during the second period against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) celebrates with left wing Will Cuylle (50) and center Noah Laba (42) after scoring his first NHL goal during the second period against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

A moment every NHL player will always remember is their first career goal; for New York Rangers' youngster Gabe Perreault, he achieved his in the recent 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.

The late hours of Dec. 18 saw Perreault going to the net and deflecting left wing Will Cuylle's shot on the power play for his first goal. Perreault, only 20, totaled five goals and seven assists over his last 11 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack before being called up to generate some offensive effort the Rangers. He finished play in St. Louis with 13:09 TOI and was awarded the Broadway hat in the locker room postgame.

To the media, Perreault said he's excited to continue his scoring efforts for the Blueshirts now that he's netted his first one.

“I kind of blacked out,” Perreault said. “I was just going to the net and it deflected off of my skate and in, it wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it feels good to finally get the first one out of the way."

Gabe Perreault Tallies First Career Goal Off Deflection

This also marked Perreault's first point recorded with the man advantage.

Rangers' Head Coach Mike Sullivan also expressed his positive impression from Perreault's play against the Blues.

"We just want to see where [Perreault's] game is at, and we're trying to put him in a position to succeed," Sullivan said. "We're excited about Gabe's game and where it can go. We also recognize that this is a process in allowing a young player to get there ... We don't want young players like Gabe to get overwhelmed."

Perreault was picked at No. 23 in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and previously played for Boston College. The right wing led the Eagles in assists with 32, good for fifth nationally during his sophomore season (2024-25). He ranked tied for fourth among NCAA skaters in assists, eighth in points per-game (1.30) and tied for 11th in points.

Perreault stands at 5'11", weighing 180-pounds and wears No. 94 while shooting left-handed.

The Sherbrooke, Quebec native was also named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star and named a nominee for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given to NCAA’s top men’s ice hockey player. He recorded his first NHL point back in November with an assist against the Nashville Predators.

Perreault helping lead the Rangers to a win in St. Louis was much needed. His goal helped New York to tie the game in the middle frame. The Rangers would go on to win the game in overtime due to captain J.T. Miller's goal.

The Rangers now sit with a 17-15-4 overall record with 38 points in the Metropolitan Division; they next see action back at Madison Square Garden in hosting the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 19.

Perreault now has a career total of two points (one goal, one assist) across nine total NHL games played. Four of these games are from the 2025-26 season, with Perreault having made his debut and took his rookie lap on April 2, 2025.

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Jennifer Streeter
JENNIFER STREETER

Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.