Nadeau Living His 'Dream' With First NHL Goal

RALEIGH, N.C. - During his postgame address to his team, Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour praised the "individual efforts" that fueled a 6-2 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

There was Taylor Hall, winning a battle of first-overall picks as he slipped past rookie blueliner Matthew Schaefer to set up Jackson Blake's momentum-restoring goal in the third. There was Andrei Svechnikov, scoring a "Vintage Svech" goal, flying down the right wing before cutting hard to the net and finding just enough room upstairs on David Rittich. There was even Mike Reilly, potting his first regular-season goal since April 9, 2024, and becoming the first defenseman this season to score a shorthanded goal.

But before all of that, there was Bradly Nadeau. Skating in just his sixth career game - his third this season - the 20-year-old enjoyed a moment that will undoubtedly stick with him forever: his first NHL goal.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," he said following the win. "You dream to score a goal in the NHL as a kid, and I was able to do that tonight."

An important milestone in Nadeau's career, the goal was also a perfect example of what prompted Carolina to select him 30th overall during the 2023 NHL Draft.

His shot was his calling card as a draft prospect, and after last season saw him become just the sixth player under 20 years old to score 30 goals in the AHL since 1940, it's become a genuine asset for Nadeau at the pro level.

"It's a cool moment. That's a nice goal too, he ripped it," said Brind'Amour. "That's kind of what you expect out of him. It's nice to get your first like that. It got us going on the right foot."

"I usually like shooting from that side of the ice, but the puck just popped there and I happened to be there," said Nadeau, describing his goal. "I just got around it and fired it."

But even after "firing it," Nadeau wasn't sure the puck had found a way past Rittich - not until he heard the roar of the Caniacs relishing the moment with him.

"I didn't see it go in right away," he said. "The fans started cheering and it was amazing. The fans are incredible here and to do that in front of them means a lot."

Among the more than 18,000 in attendance for Nadeau's was the man who helped set him on the path to pro hockey. His father, John, made the trek to Raleigh for this week's games and will leave with one heck of a souvenir.

"It's unbelievable that he got to be here. I can't wait to go see him and I'm sure he'll be pumped about that one," said Bradly of his dad. "He meant a lot [to me]. Obviously, he played himself, so growing up, I watched him play, and it means a lot that he was here for the first goal."

With support from folks like his father, Nadeau has climbed the ladder and brought his goal-scoring prowess from the BCHL, to the NCAA, to the AHL, and now to the NHL.

But the rookie is taking his rapid ascension in stride, and through the ups and downs, goalposts and near-misses, Nadeau is simply eager to make the most of each opportunity he gets at this level.

"You focus on every shift you get. Every time you go on the ice, you do what you can do out there. You hope to get another shift to hopefully show what you can do. You just take it shift by shift and try to stay motivated every time you go on the ice," he said.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy [to score my first goal], it's the NHL. You want to score a goal your whole life, and I got to do it tonight. It's an incredible feeling."