Ottawa’s Norris waits patiently to score his first NHL goal
OTTAWA The Ottawa Senators were giving Josh Norris a hard time Friday. Hey, it was all in good fun.
When Bobby Ryan took a pass late in the third period Thursday night to score his fifth career hattrick in the Senators’ 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at the Canadian Tire Centre, it seems the 20-year-old centre was calling for the puck just before Ryan fired it into an empty net.
You can’t blame Norris, who was playing in only his second NHL game, for having that mindset.
Norris has scored 30 goals with the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville, and is looking to get a little confidence at the NHL level. But he was getting a good ribbing in the dressing room before the Senators held their skills day at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Asked if he wished he’d got the Gordie Howe hat trick — a goal, assist and a fight (he dropped the gloves in the first period) — Ryan noted he was happier with scoring three goals.
“Nah, I’ll take what I got,” he said. “I’ll take anything at this point. I couldn’t believe Josh Norris was calling for the puck on that empty-netter. You can actually hear him and see him on the video calling for it.
“I’m staring down an empty net five feet away and I’ve got a guy touching the rafters, so I (was) all over him (Friday) morning. He’s a young kid, if you get your first one in an empty net, people will ask you who you scored against? What do you say? We’ll get him his first in due time.”
Norris didn’t deny it.
“That’s been the chatter this morning,” said Norris. “Some of the guys already gave me a nickname Apu, from The Simpsons, who works at 7-Eleven because it’s always open. Hey man, I’ll take it.
I think I’m always open.”
TSN’S Brent Wallace suggested maybe Norris was trying to get Ryan an assist so he’d get the Gordie Howe hat trick instead.
“Yeah, we’ll go with that,” said Norris with a laugh.