Chicago Blackhawks rookie forward is already learning after making his NHL debut

Monday night’s victory in Montreal included another debut for a highly regarded Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect this season. Ryan Greene officially signed his entry-level contract with the organization on Sunday after his Boston University squad lost in the National Championship against Western Michigan less than 24 hours before.

Greene was a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. He chose to play three seasons at the collegiate level before officially turning pro, which appears to have been his best route. The forward’s point total in each of his three seasons as a Terrier went up, and he finished this past year with 13 goals and 25 assists for a total of 38 points in 40 games.

The 21-year-old will have to wait until the fall to make his NHL debut, as the team’s final two games of the campaign are being played in Canada. Chicago took home the 4-3 victory in Greene’s debut in a playoff-like atmosphere at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The newest member of the Blackhawks learned plenty in his first NHL game and shared his debut with a fellow newcomer to the league.

Ivan Demidov outshined Ryan Greene’s debut

Unfortunately for Greene, he didn’t have the most impactful debut in Monday night’s contest. Ivan Demidov burst onto the scene by scoring his first career NHL goal, and he even collected an assist to begin his time as a professional hockey player. The Blackhawks passed on Demidov in last summer’s draft by selecting defenseman Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State.

Despite Greene’s debut being relatively quiet on the stat sheet, he learned how different the pace of play is at the NHL level compared to his time at Boston University the last three seasons.

“Decisions are made quicker, Greene said. “You’ve got to know your next play before you get the puck, so it took me a little bit to adjust to that.”

Greene finished the game with his ice time being 12:09, and he didn’t register a shot on goal or a hit. It was clear that the former second-round pick was up for the challenge of keeping up with a playoff-caliber squad in his debut. Greene’s speed was on par with those around him, and he didn’t look out of place, which is a positive sign that the new coaching staff can use as momentum with him this offseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks hope Ryan Greene’s play style will translate

Even though Greene has a scoring touch and can set up those around him with opportunities, the physical style that he brings to the table will keep him around the NHL level for as long as possible. It’s already known that he projects as a bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks down the road, but he will have lots of competition for those roster spots.

Greene will have to stand out to Chicago’s front office to stick around, and having leadership traits from his time at Boston will certainly help his cause. He served as a co-captain for the Terriers this past season and was a known leader in the program at the beginning of his sophomore campaign.