All Michael McNiven needed was a chance.
Whether it was the invite to development camp as an undrafted free agent that earned him an entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Or the chance to play at all in the ECHL after finding himself far down on the depth chart.
Being far down on the depth chart is nothing new to McNiven. Even his invite to Team Canada’s World Junior camp in his final year of eligibility saw him firmly behind Carter Hart and Connor Ingram before getting cut.
Whether it was being behind Carey Price, Charlie Lindgren, Jake Allen, or Cayden Primeau — or all four at once — McNiven has been around the NHL but on Saturday he finally had an opportunity to play in an NHL preseason game.