Sharks rookie center scores vs. Blackhawks for first NHL point

SAN JOSE – The wait is over for San Jose Sharks rookie center Will Smith.

After going without a point in his first eight games with the Sharks, Smith scored his first NHL goal at the 6:52 mark of the first period of Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stationed near the faceoff dot to the right of the Blackhawks net, Smith took a pass from linemate Luke Kunin and quickly fired it past goalie Petr Mrazek to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve had a lot of chances and seeing one go in definitely helps,” Smith said on NBC Sports California at the first intermission. “Now the pressure’s off, so just play.”

With the goal, Smith, at 19 years and 228 days old, became the youngest U.S.-born skater to score a goal with the Sharks. Matt Nieto previously held the honor. He was 20 years and 337 years old when he scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 8, 2013, in what was a 9-2 Sharks win over the New York Rangers.

That game was the third of Nieto’s NHL career, as it was for Tomas Hertl, who had four goals that night at SAP Center.

The 19-year-old Smith was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and led all NCAA Division I players last season with 71 points in 41 games. This season, before Thursday, Smith had averaged 13:34 in ice time per game with 11 shots on net.

The Blackhawks responded with two goals in the next 1:37 to take a 2-1 lead.

Former Shark forward Ryan Donato scored his sixth goal of the season at the 7:29 mark, and Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Blackhawks the lead just 50 seconds later.

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