Alex DeBrincat is doing his part.

The 19-year-old forward is making a strong bid to crack the Chicago Blackhawks' opening night lineup, an effort boosted by a highlight-reel goal scored Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.

He's certainly impressing head coach Joel Quenneville.

"You have to like how he plays," Quenneville said after the 4-2 preseason win, per Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Tribune. "He’s gotten better every single game, and his presence with the puck, patience, and play recognition is high-end. It’s been a good progression for him in this preseason. A lot of guys have had some good camps, but he’s certainly had a good one."

For his part, DeBrincat - who checks in at 5-foot-7 - is making the most of a top-six opportunity alongside Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz.

"I’m giving it my all out here and I’m trying to show them I’m ready," DeBrincat said. "But it’s kind of up to them. They have a plan for me."

DeBrincat, who was drafted 39th overall in 2016, is eligible to be assigned to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs because he was born in late 1997. The Blackhawks may ultimately decide he needs some time to develop down in the minors, but his exhibition play is proving hard to ignore.

DeBrincat scored 65 goals and recorded 127 in 63 games for the OHL's Erie Otters last season and clearly has nothing left to prove at the junior level.

Whether he can help replace some of the offense lost with the trading away of Artemi Panarin remains to be seen, but don't bet against it.

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If you build it, they will come.

On Thursday night T-Mobile Arena was graced by the man who inspired the Vegas hockey club's moniker, the Golden Knight.

OK, not really, but nevertheless, this man's outfit - which was spotted during the club's preseaosn tilt against the Colorado Avalanche - is fantastic.

If the Golden Knights are still looking for a mascot, they may have just found him.

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Welcome to Philadelphia, kid.

Second overall draft pick Nolan Patrick endeared himself to the Flyers faithful by dropping the gloves and engaging in his first NHL fight with David Krejci of the Boston Bruins.

The unlikely opponent made it less than a heavyweight tilt.

The fight came as a result of a melee sparked by a Charlie McAvoy hit on Jordan Weal earlier in the shift.

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Don't rule Brian Boyle out for opening night.

The veteran center - who's been skating on his own since announcing a diagnosis of leukemia on Sept. 19 - could indeed make his New Jersey Devils debut on Oct. 7 against Colorado.

"There's a possibility," head coach John Hynes said Wednesday, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "Brian will be back with us starting (Thursday) and then we'll just kind of see where he goes over the next week. But nothing has been ruled out yet."

Boyle has yet to practice with the team but may be able to do so as early as Monday, giving him several days to get acclimated.

"I think with Brian, he knows really when he's ready," Hynes continued. "We're not going to rush him. If he is ready and he can get a full week of practice in, that's probably fine. He's not going to get a preseason game, so no matter what he's going into a regular season game (to start).

"If he's back with us next week, we're going to have some very intense practices and if he gets a full week, I have a pretty strong feel he'll be ready to go."

Boyle signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Devils as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

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One of the NHL's few black players has decided not to kneel during the American national anthem this season.

San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward released a statement Thursday on Twitter, stating that, though he supports those who have knelt during the anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality, he won't do so himself.

"Although I fully support those who before me have taken the lead in bringing awareness to these issues, I will not kneel during the national anthem like my brothers have done," he wrote.

In Ward's statement, he opens up about the racism he's experienced.

"As a black man, I have experienced racism both inside and outside of the sporting world. I have been pulled over by law enforcement for no reason. I have been looked at suspiciously because of the color of my skin."

In spite of this, Ward feels "the original message" has been lost, and the focus has shifted to the act of kneeling, rather than what it stands for.

What the Toronto, Ontario native truly wants is for society to move forward on this highly debated issue.

"We need to be working on bridging the gap between people of all color, and between law enforcement and minorities," he wrote. "How can we be a part of the solution and not part of the problem - or be another distraction from what the real issues are?

"If we spend more time talking about these real issues instead of the actions that are taking place in an attempt to raise awareness about them, we will be a much richer and stronger society."

As a 10-year NHL veteran, and a minority in the league, Ward's voice certainly speaks louder than most.

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Warning: Post contains coarse language

National anthems are reportedly a topic of discussion among the NHL's 31 chairmen.

The board of governors added the role of anthems to its agenda Wednesday in light of last weekend's events in the NFL, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.

The NHL team owners, who cited Nashville and Chicago as examples, believe anthems have become "part of the event" at games, and that fans like them, according to Shannon.

Many NHL players, including P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds, Joel Ward, Auston Matthews, and Blake Wheeler have weighed in since President Donald Trump created a figurative firestorm by suggesting NFL players who peacefully protest the anthem (who he referred to as sons of bitches) should be "fired."

NFL players and owners united en masse in peaceful protests against Trump, and, of course, to the original cause - bringing attention to police brutality and racial injustice - last Sunday.

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Forty-five years ago today, Paul Henderson scored one of the most iconic goals in hockey history: the winner in Game 8 of the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Coming in the midst of the Cold War, the Canadian victory was bigger than hockey.

If Henderson had never scored that goal, though, most hockey fans probably wouldn't know who he was. In 707 NHL games, the left winger collected just 236 goals and 477 points.

Here are five more players who didn't light up the scoresheet over their careers, but still became responsible for some of the most legendary goals in hockey history.

Bill Barilko

Without Bill Barilko's Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal in 1951, The Tragically Hip song "Fifty-Mission Cap" wouldn't exist.

For those unfamiliar with the Canadian hit, Barilko's goal in '51 won the Toronto Maple Leafs the Cup, but later that summer, he boarded a single-engine private plane bound for a weekend fishing trip and disappeared. His body initially couldn't be found. The Leafs didn't win another Cup until 1962 - the same year Barilko's body and the wreckage of the plane was discovered.

The man they called "Bashin' Bill" had just 62 points in 252 career regular-season NHL games. He did live up to his nickname, though, accumulating 456 penalty minutes.

Bobby Baun

Bobby Baun set the bar for "hockey tough" incredibly high.

In Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final, the Maple Leafs were trailing the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the series. Midway through the third period, Baun was stretchered off after blocking a shot. It turned out he fractured his ankle on the play. However, he returned later in the period, and wound up scoring the OT winner to force a Game 7, which the Leafs ended up winning.

Baun played 17 NHL seasons, finishing with a career high of just 20 points.

Uwe Krupp

In their first season in existence, the Colorado Avalanche produced an unlikely hero despite having stars such as Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg on the roster.

Towering German defenseman Uwe Krupp, who finished with 281 points in 729 career NHL games, scored the triple-overtime winner in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to complete the sweep for the Avs. He's probably never had to pay for a drink in Denver since.

Petr Svoboda

This was the golden goal before the golden goal.

The 1998 Olympics were the first to allow NHL players, and goaltender Dominic Hasek carried the Czech Republic in Nagano. With the gold-medal contest locked in a 0-0 tie midway through the third period, Petr Svoboda notched what would be the only goal of the game - and the biggest goal in Czech hockey history.

Svoboda's career didn't feature many other thrilling moments, though. In 1,028 regular-season games, he scored just 58 goals.

Alec Martinez

The most recent of these career-defining goals came from the stick of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez. After notching the OT winner in Game 7 of the 2014 Western Conference Final, Martinez played the hero once again by potting the Cup clincher in overtime of Game 5 against the New York Rangers.

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The New York Islanders are one step closer to finding a new home.

The Isles say they've turned in "a comprehensive proposal to create a world-class sports and entertainment destination" at Belmont Park, according to Jim Baumbach of Newsday Sports.

The Islanders had played their home games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island since 1972, but began playing at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015-16. The facility was built primarily for basketball, and has drawn some heavy criticism for hosting NHL hockey.

Belmont Park, located just outside New York City and about 20 minutes from the old Coliseum, has been under discussion as a possible location for a new arena since April.

The Islanders' ownership group is reportedly visiting Detroit on Thursday to tour the new home of the Red Wings, Little Caesars Arena, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.

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The St. Louis Blues have had internal discussions about signing unrestricted free agent Jaromir Jagr, general manager Doug Armstrong said Thursday, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.

The Blues have a sudden need for forward help, as it was announced Wednesday that Robby Fabbri will miss the entirety of the 2017-18 season after re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee.

Despite being 45 years old and well past his prime, Jagr can still contribute offensively and could provide an element of scoring depth to St. Louis' forward group.

Last season, Jagr registered decent numbers for the Florida Panthers. Across a full 82-game slate, the Czech native tallied 16 goals and 30 assists while also logging a respectable 17 minutes in ice time per game.

Rumors have swirled regarding Jagr's next destination since the Panthers cut ties with the veteran winger July 1.

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Josh Anderson reportedly wants out.

The holdout has requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Anderson, who's a restricted free agent, elected not to report to training camp while awaiting a new contract.

“This trade request is news to me,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said after the initial report was published. “And we are not looking to trade Josh Anderson.”

The winger's agent, Darren Ferris, declined to comment.

Related: Josh Anderson's agent reportedly in touch with Team Canada amid contract dispute

Anderson ranked sixth on the Blue Jackets with 17 goals in his first full NHL season, despite averaging only 12:01 in ice time.

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