Pederson scores in NHL debut with Arizona Coyotes
Lane Pederson wasted no time finding the back of the net after reaching the National Hockey League.
Playing in his first NHL game, the former Swift Current Broncos forward scored 10:47 into the second period of the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on April 2. Pederson found himself alone after a funny bounce on a dump in attempt and then beat Anthony Stolarz with a backhand deke to tie the game 2-2.
The 6’0’’, 190-pound forward finished the game with two shots on goal and two hits in 12:45 of ice time.
He was in the lineup again on Sunday for a 3-2 win over the Ducks when he finished with eight hits over 9:29 of ice time.
Pederson, 23, was promoted to the Coyotes taxi squad earlier in the week while in the midst of his fourth professional season with the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League. He had seven goals and 10 assists in 16 games while serving as an assistant captain in Tucson this season.
The Saskatoon product came to the Broncos midway through the 2015-16 season in a trade that sent Jake Debrusk to the Red Deer Rebels. He concluded that season with 34 points in 37 games with the Broncos. The following season he added 65 points in 62 games and then registered seven points in 12 games in the playoffs.
Pederson became the fourth former Bronco to make his NHL debut this season, following Aleksi Heponiemi, Stuart Skinner, and Glenn Gawdin. Heponiemi scored an overtime winning goal with the Florida Panthers in his debut.