CHL to NHL: Kirkland makes long-awaited NHL debut
Former Kelowna Rockets forward Justin Kirkland made his NHL debut Tuesday for the Anaheim Ducks.
Kirkland played 7:26 in a 4-1 defeat to L.A. and tallied two shots on goal and three hits.
The Winnipeg native spent three full seasons in Kelowna after he played 12 games from 2011-13. Over the course of 199 games with the Rockets, Kirkland tallied 71 goals and 169 points, and won a WHL Championship in 2015.
Since the conclusion of his junior career, Kirkland has played 352 games in the AHL with Milkwaukee, Stockton and San Diego.
The 26-year-old was the 62nd overall pick by Nashville in the 2014 NHL Draft.
🚨 NHL Debut 🚨
Justin Kirkland takes his solo lap! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/7Mj9bL4Zy1— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 21, 2022