WHL Stars & NHL Debuts: Hitmen graduate Yakemchuk launches Sens into playoff position
Ottawa Senators defenceman Carter Yakemchuk parked himself in front of a scrum of reporters and recounted his unbelievable night as if he’d done it hundreds of times before.
“I felt pretty good,” Yakemchuk said. “The guys were great. They’re all super supportive and helpful. So they kind of helped me and Dono (Jorian Donovan) throughout the game. It was awesome to be a part of it.”
Spoken like a seasoned NHLer, rather than a 20-year-old fresh off his NHL debut and first two points in the big show.
For four seasons, Calgary Hitmen fans have seen the flashy blueliner pile up points like he was a forward, and Yakemchuk was in fine form on Tuesday night in a match with major playoff implications.
Senators bench boss and fellow WHL alum Travis Green tapped the Sens’ 2024 seventh-overall pick to quarterback Ottawa’s first powerplay unit in a showdown against the Detroit Red Wings.
The 6-foot-3, 219-pound rearguard picked up a pass at the wall and deftly passed the puck backhand through his own legs to feed Tim Stutzle for a point shot that was tipped home by captain Brady Tkachuk.
Yak gets his first @NHL point and the #Sens are on the board 🚨#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/pJF9tmpuMd
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 24, 2026
At the midway point of the game, Yakemchuk lit the lamp himself with an even-strength snapper from above the right faceoff dot.
The Calgarian was named first star of the game with two points (1G-1A), a +2 rating, two blocks and a takeaway in just 12:46 of ice time.
✅ @NHL debut
✅ Second NHL point
✅ First NHL goal#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/wTmjEv5n5K— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 25, 2026
Ottawa’s 3-2 win over the Original Six squad has moved them up into the second wild card berth in the Eastern Conference with 11 games left on the regular season schedule.
“He’s a special player,” Green told reporters postgame. “We needed a play out of someone tonight, and he gave us that play.
He sees the ice well. He passes the puck well. He can zip it up to our forwards quick, like the type of game that we want to play. But he’s dangerous at the point. He’s got a shot that he’s capable of getting it through. He can buy some time while he’s dragging it, much like his goal, and obviously exciting for us watching him play tonight. Obviously, the first step is always the hardest, but he did a good job tonight.”
And he did it under pretty incredible circumstances.
Belleville Senators General Manager Matt Turek called Yakemchuk to let him know he’d be making his debut with Ottawa while the Senators were on the ice against the New York Rangers on Monday night.
In a flurry, Yakemchuk loaded up and made the six-hour drive from Belleville, Ont., to Detroit to meet the team at the hotel.
Thankfully, his parents, brothers and uncle made it in from Alberta to watch him take his first NHL strides.
Yakemchuk is in his first season of professional hockey after a storied career with his hometown Hitmen.
Calgary called his name with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.
Yakemchuk evolved into a goal-scoring machine, putting up 180 points (70G-110A) in 245 regular-season WHL games over four seasons, highlighted by a 30-goal, 71-point run in 2023-24.
He ranks fourth in all-time scoring by a Hitmen defenceman and first in goals.
Yakemchuk also cracked WHL All-Star teams three times and the 2024 CHL Second All-Star squad.
He’s currently piled up 36 points (10G-26A) in 50 games with the AHL’s Senators to sit fourth in team scoring.
Ottawa has won four games in a row to, at least temporarily, move into a playoff spot.
Yakemchuk and the Sens will return to Canada’s capital to host his former Hitmen teammate Ben Kindel and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, March 26.
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