When Alex Tuch returned to Boston’s TD Garden as a member of the first-year Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 2, he admitted that it was a bit of a strange deal.
The Baldwinsville, N.Y., native could still be playing hockey in and around the city as a senior at Boston College, but he’s now a second-year professional and focused on asserting himself into a regular role in the National Hockey League under the most unique of circumstances.
"Most of my friends are still seniors here at Boston College. I went and visited them for a couple hours, grabbed a bite to eat, saw my old coaches, saw Jerry York," Tuch said of how he spent an off day before the Golden Knights’ firstever game in Boston.
"It’s really strange, actually."
The adjustment from college to life as a full-time NHL player for the first time might have been strange at the outset, but the power forward’s near-immediate contribution to the Golden Knights was anything but strange.
Tuch, who had played in just six NHL games with the Minnesota Wild before this season, was part of the Vegas roster during both the team’s rookie and main training camps, but when the regular season began, he found himself down with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves. After scoring four goals and five points in three AHL games, including a hat trick in the Oct. 6 season opener, he was back with the big club.
Just nine days after his quick AHL start, he scored a goal and assisted in his debut with the new NHL club, a 3-1 home win over the Bruins. With that, he quickly garnered more on-ice responsibility and has been a key player in the lineup ever since, finding his way alongside league veteran Cody Eakin and former New York Ranger Oscar Lindberg.
"He’s been excellent," Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said. "He’s a big, strong guy that is key to our power play. He is a good net-front guy, and he’s doing a real good job for us."
It was the start to his Vegas career that was the best, as he amassed four goals and seven points through his first nine games, including a pair of modest two-game point streaks.
Quite simply, nothing was expected out of the Golden Knights during this inaugural season. With nothing to lose, they surpassed any and all expectations right from the start, becoming just the third team in NHL history to reach 10 wins within the first 16 games in an inaugural season. Vegas was also the first-ever expansion team to start with three straight wins and the first NHL team ever to win eight of its first nine games as a franchise.
It is an atypical situation, but Tuch said a great mix of guys and a resilient attitude in the locker room have both been key to his new team’s quick start.
"It’s all about getting chemistry with my teammates, learning who everyone is and what kind of personalities they have," Tuch said. "Everyone’s got a little chip on their shoulder from the expansion draft and trades, but we have an unbelievable group of guys, so it’s honestly been really easy (to come together)."
Of course, he owes York and the BC staff a great deal of thanks for his individual success, too. "You go back there and remember all the good times, all the friendships you made," Tuch said. "If I didn’t go to Boston College, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today."
Nineteen former BC players started this season on NHL rosters, more than any NCAA Division 1 program in the country. Now, he’s a new name on that list finding pro success in a new place.
