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Rick Tocchet had high praise for Victor Soderstrom after the 19-year-old's first NHL game.
"I don't think the moment was too big for him," Tocchet said.
Soderstrom was elated in summation Saturday of his milestone moment Friday night.
"It felt good," Soderstrom said. "It was fun to play. You know, you've been waiting for this your whole life. So, finally to get it done was for sure special. I called my parents and girlfriend and friends back home right away after the game, and they were all happy about me. So, I was super excited."

Despite the eight-hour time difference in Sweden, Soderstrom's family and friends stayed up to cheer him on.
"I know my grandma watched the game with my parents, there, at three o'clock in the morning," he said. "And yeah, as I said, my girlfriends' family and a couple friends were watching too. For sure it was special knowing they were watching the game."
The 2019 first-rounder logged 15:18 in his debut game, a Coyotes 5-2 win over the Golden Knights. He was on the ice for Conor Garland's goal early in the third period.

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Soderstrom, who manned the point on the Coyotes' second power play unit, saw the second-most ice time (3:07) of power play time among Coyotes defensemen.
His 'whoa' moment came during warm-ups.
"You are on the ice with everyone, and you see Vegas on the other side of the ice," he said. "(And they are) probably one of the top-five teams in the league. It was for sure a special moment."

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Soderstrom, at 19 years and 331 days, is the 10th-youngest player in Coyotes history. He received outpouring support on social media.
"I got some fans writing to me on social media," he said. "You're always happy to see that. That's huge for me and for every player on the team. I think I also, all our guys on the team helped me out a lot. We have some players that have played a couple years in the league. So, I think everyone helped me out."
After the game, Soderstrom was awarded the game pelt, a Coyote headdress won by a select player after every win. The selection is made by the previous pelt winner. The honor was especially significant because it was awarded by Phil Kessel, a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
"Yeah, it was pretty special," he said. "I got the Coyote there on my head. I got it from Kessel. It was special, the guys were chirping me a little bit. So yeah, it was nice."
Soderstrom also received a game puck, which will be encased in a customized plaque with a game photo and an etched plate signifying the milestone. The memento is provided by the Coyotes' public relations team. Every player who participates in a debut game or attains a career landmark receives a plaque.

"He was competitive out there," Tocchet said. "And that's what you want from a kid like that. That's a good step for him, because that's a big test for a kid to go against a team like that."
Tocchet added Saturday: "I like his patience. There's a lot of good things I like about him. It's a fast pace out there. (He could) probably be a little quicker to help out in certain scenarios, move the puck a little quicker in some instances, but that's just normal stuff. Seasoned veterans do that sometimes. It's just reps. He needs reps. We've got to put him in certain situations and see how he does. When you get a lot of reps, the game will slow down for him, which is a good thing."
Tocchet also knows the youngster is in good hands with a supportive Coyotes squad.
"This is a close team," Tocchet said. "That's the one thing we do. Oliver invited him to his house; he's living with Oliver. When the young guys are going for dinner, he's with somebody. It's not like he's all by himself. These guys are family to him. That goes a long way to making a guy comfortable going out on the ice knowing that he's not by himself. I've got to credit our team. They're a close team."

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Lead Photo Credit: Norm Hall - NHLI via Getty Images // Second Photo Credit: Norm Hall - NHLI via Getty Images // Footer Photo Credit: Christian Petersen - Getty Images