The first NHL game Lucas Raymond attended was at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was a cool experience, but not nearly as cool as the one that awaits at the historic venue Thursday.
The Detroit Red Wings take on the New York Rangers there in a match that pits two of the top picks in 2020 against one another. The Wings selected Raymond at No. 4, their spot following the draft lottery despite the worst record of the 2019-20 season. The Rangers went from the playoff bubble to getting the No. 1 overall pick, selecting consensus top prospect Alexis Lafreniere.