The Columbus Blue Jackets weren't the only beneficiaries of Atkinson's scoring prowess during the 2015-16 season. A young girl wishing for a dog on her birthday benefitted as well.
On the night that Blue Jackets fan Maddie Wright brought a sign to the game that read "Dad said if 13 scores on my birthday we get a dog," Atkinson, who wears 13, scored a hat trick in a 5-2 Columbus win against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Columbus Blue Jackets weren't the only beneficiaries of Atkinson's scoring prowess during the 2015-16 season. A young girl wishing for a dog on her birthday benefitted as well.
On the night that Blue Jackets fan Maddie Wright brought a sign to the game that read "Dad said if 13 scores on my birthday we get a dog," Atkinson, who wears 13, scored a hat trick in a 5-2 Columbus win against the Montreal Canadiens.
A day later, Atkinson promised to buy the dog for Wright and he made good on the promise shortly thereafter when he bought Wright a black Labrador retriever that Wright named Cam.
Of course, that's not the only promise Atkinson has made good on. From the moment he was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the sixth round (No. 157) in the 2008 NHL Draft, he has been making good on his promising skill set.
A speedy winger with quick, soft hands; a strong, accurate shot and a work ethic that makes him reliable in all three zones, Atkinson has become a solid two-way player and consistent point producer. The 2015-16 season was the third straight in which he produced at least 20 goals and 40 points.
A native of Riverside, Conn., Atkinson was playing for the Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Conn. when he was drafted, but he made the jump a year later to Boston College, where he quickly became a Hockey East star.
After scoring 19 points as a freshman in 2008-09, Atkinson scored 30 goals, including two in the national championship game, to lead BC to the Hockey East and NCAA Championship in 2009-10.
A Hobey Baker Award finalist and first-team All-America as a college junior in 2010-11, Atkinson signed a two-year contract with Columbus following his junior season.
He later made his pro debut in March, 2011 with Springfield of the American Hockey League, where he continued to show off his scoring skills, producing five points (three goals) in five games.
Atkinson made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2011, and scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 10, 2011, against the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-2 Blue Jackets loss.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Hockey East Second All-Star Team (2010)
- NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team (2010)
- Hockey East First All-Star Team (2011)
- NCAA East First All-American Team (2011)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2017, 2019)
