By Nathaniel Charendoff ’17, Sports Editor

The shift from Fall to Winter signals not only the start of “Senioritis,” but also the beginning of the NHL season.

The “NHL,” which stands for the National Hockey League, is comprised of 30 teams that make up two conferences— East (16 teams) and West (14 teams) — and further two divisions per conference. Teams compete for the ever-lauded Stanley Cup trophy, awarded annually to the overall champion, a title that is currently held by the Pittsburg Penguins.

But what is perhaps most remarkable about the National Hockey League this year is the wonderfully vibrant injection of youth into the system. Hockey enthusiast and former player Anthony Giachin ’17 commented, “It’s refreshing to see youth in the league. The league has been dominated by big names like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for the past decade or so and it is great to see a new wave of players coming in.” One rookie in particular, Auston Matthews, has had a dream start to life in the NHL. At the young age of 19, Matthews set an NHL record by being the first player to score a whopping four goals in his debut match for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are in dire need for the kind of pure talent that Matthews possesses, as the Canadian team is still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1967.

Connor McDavid is another brilliant young star in the league. In only his second season with the Edmonton Oilers, he was named as the team’s captain, becoming the youngest captain in the history of the NHL at an age of 19 years and 226 days. His rookie season was cut short by injury, but even after playing a fraction of the allotted season games, he finished third in the voting for the NHL Rookie of the Year. McDavid, like fellow teenager Matthews, possesses the blistering speed and creativity that isn’t found very often in the modern game, and we may see these youthful stars start to change the face of hockey as we know it. The ripples are being felt throughout the hockey-watching community. Hockey aficionado Olivia Cubbage ’17 noted that “the influx of all these young players is really boding well for the game. Rookie players have recently brought a new flair that might even result in an increase in hockey popularity.”

As Anthony Giachin ’17 added, “Guys like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews add a lot of pace and innovation to the game, making it a lot more fun to watch regardless of what team you root for. As a New York Rangers fan, the youth added to the roster this year has made me very optimistic about not only this year but also years to come as young players, such as Jimmy Vesey, are already making a big impact five games into the season.”

Hockey is truly a fascinating game, requiring the mastery of both skating and puck-handling to excel in the sport. Perhaps as a result of younger players like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, the NHL might ultimately receive wider coverage and attract wider viewership.

I know I’ll be watching this year. Will you?