MONTREAL — In a three-day span, Ryan Greene played in the NCAA championship game, signed a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, drove four hours from St. Louis to Chicago to catch a flight with the team to Montreal and will make his NHL debut Monday night at Bell Centre.
“It happened fast,” the 21-year-old forward said Monday after his first morning skate. “I’m really excited that I’m getting an opportunity to play in the lineup, and (I’m) just going to try to make the best of it.”
Greene will center a line with Nick Foligno and fellow rookie Oliver Moore.
The Hawks drafted Greene in the second round (No. 57) in 2022. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound forward signed a three-year, entry-level contract Sunday that carries a $950,000 salary-cap hit.
While he appreciates that his moment has arrived, he admitted, “It’s really nerve-wracking.”
“It’s highly anticipated; you’ve been dreaming of it your whole life,” Greene said. “But it’s also really exciting. Even just being in the locker room with a lot of these guys is, like, so cool. I’m just honored to be here and to be a part of it.”
It figures to be a charged atmosphere when he takes the ice. Montreal forward Ivan Demidov — the No. 5 pick in last summer’s NHL draft — also will make his debut, and the Canadiens can clinch a playoff spot with a win.
“They’re right there,” Hawks interim coach Anders Sörensen said. “They’re going to come out with a lot of urgency in their game. Matching that energy is going to be crucial for us.”
Greene expects “it’s definitely going to be loud in here.”
“I’m sure it’s pretty unbelievable when it’s packed and going,” he said. “I’m just going to try to enjoy it, soak it all in.”
“You've been dreaming of it your whole life, and the fact that it's here, it's pretty nerve-racking.”—Blackhawks F Ryan Greene on making his NHL debut tonight against the Canadiens
— Phil Thompson (@philthompsontrib.bsky.social) 2025-04-14T17:01:35.531Z
He has had a lot to take in already. His Boston University Terriers lost 6-2 to Western Michigan in the Frozen Four final, which he didn’t get a lot of time to process.
“A lot of emotions,” Greene said. “Tough loss there on Saturday, but had to sleep that one off and then get up pretty early on Sunday morning and drive down here.”
His 6 a.m. wakeup came after staying up late with his Terriers teammates.
“Spending the last night with the boys, so, yeah, had to enjoy it a little bit,” Greene said.
In his final 40 games at BU, the team captain posted 13 goals and 25 assists.
“Reliable, good skater,” Sörensen said. “He killed a lot of penalties for BU. A little power play. Really good skater and really reliable defensively; guy that errs on the defensive side more than anything.”
Greene added: “I’ve been able to round out my game the last three years at BU. I see myself as a 200-foot player who is responsible and can be relied on in a lot of situations. So that’s just something I’m trying to bring here.”
