This was the scene in Dallas prior to the opening game of the season for both teams. The St. Louis Blues youngest defenseman, Adam Jiricek, finally made his NHL debut way ahead of schedule due to injuries on the blue line.
A traditional unlike any other. Congratulations on your NHL debut, Adam Jiricek. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/4C3mYPOfVV
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 3, 2026
The rookie lap is nice, and all, especially if it is done the right way, but the real story here is the in-game performance. Jiricek was a sponge in preseason, sturdy and adaptable to any situation, as he really impressed head coach Jim Montgomery.
After one game in the books at the NHL-level, Montgomery is still singing a really high tune for No. 36.
"“It looked like he’s been in the league for three years: calm … he made plays in the second where we were not at our best and he just seemed like, ‘OK I’ll just carry it into the zone.’ It was impressive how calm he looked.”"Blues head coach Jim Montgomery
Jiricek is in it now
That was it. The debut we have all been waiting for has arrived, and Jiricek fit the role perfectly. He played alongside Philip Borberg on the top pairing, notched 16:35 worth of ice time, and had two shots on goal. He also scored a goal, but it was taken off the board due ot it being an offside ruling.
From this point forward, Jiricek has an eight-week tryout until Logan Mailloux is re-evaluated from hish hand surgery. There is a world in which both Mailloux and Jiricek can exist on this blue line; it just means that additional pieces need to be removed, and Carlo could be the place to start. Of course, that is if Carlo doesn't face a suspension.
Jiricek cannot focus on that for now, as every game over the next eight weeks, or fewer, is going to determine his future with this franchise.
Growing pains around the corner
We all know that this success is going to run out eventually. Growing pains will come for the 22-year-old, and the severity of that will dictate how the next few weeks go.
The Blues looked like a sound unit, but with a key injury to Alexey Toropchenko in the forward unit and Carlo possibly facing suspension, there is an emphasis on Jiricek continuing to be stellar. He cannot fall into a funk, as the rest of this team has cohesively brought themselves together. For the first time in a long while, it looked like a team out there on the ice.
Jiricek was a key part of that, and has to be going forward. His coach is behind him, as is this fan base.
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