The stakes weren’t that high for Ryan Poehling, and he knew that better than anyone.
“Should be fun, no big deal,” Poehling told reporters the morning of his National Hockey League debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.
While his team had no chance at making this year’s playoffs, the stage was already set for a rivalry matchup against the Leafs on home ice. More importantly to viewers watching at home, the game was on Hockey Night in Canada; the final broadcast of Bob Cole’s legendary 50-year career.