The New Jersey Devils forward's dad admitted crying tears of pride and joy after Merkley scored his first NHL goal during New Jersey's 4-3 shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Jeff Merkley watched his son's third NHL game, and second in a Devils uniform, from a Prudential Center suite as part of New Jersey's dads trip. Nicholas, who the Devils acquired from the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 16, tied the game at 2 with his goal at 3:51 of the second period.
"It's incredible," Jeff Merkley told MSG-Plus. "It's a moment we've been waiting our whole life for."
Merkley was named the game's No. 2 star and earned the team's player of the game honors. He also appreciated how special the moment was for him and his family.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Merkdaddy takes flight. ������#WeAreTheOnes | #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/grNTyFftw8
"It doesn't get much better than that," Merkley said after the game. "He's put in so much work over the course of my career, so it's nice to repay him with that."
