NHL Debut Worth the Wait for Parker Wotherspoon

Parker Wotherspoon's Christmas gift came in the form of an NHL debut with the New York Islanders. For the 25-year-old defenseman, this opportunity was a long time coming after spending parts of eight seasons in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders. He was finally given the chance to play in his first NHL game on Friday night in a 5-1 Islanders win against the Florida Panthers.
"It was an unbelievable feeling," Wotherspoon said. "It was nerve-wracking. I had my heart beating out of my chest. It was a great moment for me and my family."

That's how Wotherspoon felt personally. In the locker room and among his friends and family, the reaction was nothing short of supportive.
"I had my phone blowing up all day and all night," Wotherspoon recalled about last Friday. "Everyone was super, super excited for me, especially here. I've been around these guys for a long time, and they were finally happy to see me get a game in."
With 293 games under his belt, Wotherspoon is fifth all-time in games played in Bridgeport history and he's spent the past six full seasons with the Sound Tigers/Islanders. Despite the possibility of never being called up, he remained hopeful and prepared.
"I mean, of course you're nervous that it won't happen," Wortherspoon said. "But I felt I was pretty confident my game and if I kept getting better, I would get the opportunity eventually. And that's why I stayed ready."

In his first game in the big leagues, Wotherspoon recorded two shots, one hit and a block, for a total of 14:47 of ice time on Friday.
"I thought he played really well," Zach Parise said of Wotherspoon. "It didn't look like it was his first [NHL] game. He was moving the puck, making good plays up the middle of the ice. I thought he was outstanding, so hopefully that's something he can build off. I know it's not easy but everyone was really impressed with the way he played his first game."
Sebastian Aho has known Wotherspoon for six years, playing together for three seasons in Bridgeport and recalling unique parts of his game.
"He's very smart," Aho remarked of Wotherspoon. "He reads the game well and he can get out of situations [that] most guys can't get out of. That's his number-one strength."
Aho and Wotherspoon are also familiar with each other off the ice. "He's a calm guy," Aho said of Wotherspoon's character. "He's funny. Secure in himself. Mostly I'd say he's a funny guy."
Wotherspoon, the Islanders 2015 fourth-round draft pick (112th overall), spent parts of eight seasons playing for the Bridgeport Islanders, debuting in the minor leagues in the 2015-16 season. Wotherspoon is seven games shy of his 300th game in the AHL. Over that span, he netted 22 goals and picked up 86 assists for a 108 career points for the Bridgeport Islanders.

"He's been with this organization for such a long time," said Hudson Fasching. "From what I understand, he deserved it. To see him and [Aatu] Raty both here... the last game was a lot of fun to see them."
Veteran players of the league are familiar with the feeling of excitement of an NHL debut, including teammate Parise, who was excited for the 25-year-old defenseman.
"We've all been there," said Parise. "We all know what those feelings and emotions are. It's always exciting to see new guys come in the league and play."
"You can see even before, but especially after, he was walking around with a big smile and it's a lot of fun to see," Aho said. "Especially with guys that have been fighting for it for a long time. You see how much it means and you feel good just looking at them."