Los Angeles Kings rookie Nick Shore made his homegrown NHL debut against the Avalanche on Wednesday night.
The Denver-born Shore, 22, played in his seventh consecutive NHL game and 12th overall as the Kings’ fourth-line center, joining wingers Jordan Nolan and Kyle Clifford.
Shore attended the University of Denver, then signed with the Kings after his junior year in 2013.
Selected by L.A. with the 82nd pick in the 2011 draft, Shore has played most of his second pro season for the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. At the time of his call-up last month, he was the AHL’s second-leading scorer with 42 points, including 20 goals, in 38 games, and was set to play in the league’s All-Star Game.
He basically traded spots with two-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Richards, 30, who is now playing for Manchester at a $7 million NHL salary. Shore is at a prorated $925,000.
Shore’s parents, David and Sarah, and brothers Quentin and Baker, along with the majority of the DU hockey team, were scheduled to attend Wednesday’s game.
“It’s an exciting opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Shore said after the morning skate at the Pepsi Center.
Footnotes. Avs coach Patrick Roy used the same lineup that produced his team’s two-game winning streak. Thus, forward Daniel Briere and defenseman Stefan Elliott were scratched. … The Kings’ scratches were defensemen Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort and center Andy Andreoff. … Colorado and Los Angeles met for the first time in this regular season, but they played twice in the preseason. The Avs also host the Kings on March 10 before visiting Los Angeles on April 4.
