In the Minnesota Wild's (21-9-5) game against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6), defenseman Carson Lambos made his NHL debut.
After 163 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) and 1,610 days after the Wild selected Lambos with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he finally made his NHL debut.
And he looked great.
According to HockeyStatCards, Lambos led all Wild defensemen in the game in GameScore.
NHL GameScore Impact Card for Minnesota Wild on 2025-12-18: pic.twitter.com/Z7SKxjiOb6
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) December 19, 2025
“Long journey and a lot of ups and downs along the way, not playing for a year, among a lot of other things, too,” said Lambos after the game. “So it’s really exciting to be here and have this chance."
Lambos, 22, received the “Hero of the Game” hat after his debut. He had 17 impressive shifts that included a shot and a blocked shot that may have saved a goal later in the game.
NHL debut ✅
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025
THE HAT ✅ pic.twitter.com/GVPnvcjAFN
With Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton back skating in Minnesota following their injuries, and Zach Bogosian waiting in the wings, it isn't certain how many more game Lambos will get in the NHL this year if any but he made it clear on Thursday that he is ready to be a NHL defenseman.
"I thought it was a good first game for him," said Wild head coach John Hynes. "I thought he had strong details to his game. He skated well. Strength wise he looked good. I thought he played a simple, reliable and good first game. The encouraging things where, his skating, he's a pretty good size young kid, good strength on him and it didn't seem like he was overwhelmed by the circumstances. So that was good to see."
a moment worth celebrating #EasyToCelebrate | @budlightpic.twitter.com/pB60Gsq0wa
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Recent Minnesota Wild Stories
Quinn Hughes ‘Extremely Open-Minded’ About Future With Wild After First Night In MinnesotaHughes arrives in Minnesota, impressing immediately with his calm demeanor and on-ice performance, fueling excitement for his future with the Wild.- 'You Want To Get Out Of Your Zone': Why Quinn Hughes Changes The Game For The Wild.
- 'We Want To Compete For The Stanley Cup': Why Bill Guerin Went All In.
- Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver For Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi And More.
- When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up.