Joseph "Terrific" in NHL Debut

"Welcome to the ice, Pierre-Olivier Joseph!" said PA announcer Ryan Mill as the 21-year-old defenseman took the traditional solo rookie lap at the start of warmups ahead of his NHL debut on Friday against the New York Rangers.

"The lap, I think it's just a thing, but it made me less nervous that were no people in the stands to see it," Joseph said with a laugh.

Any nerves he had certainly didn't show, as Joseph was named the Third Star after earning his first NHL point - the primary assist on the tying goal that forced overtime and helped earn the Penguins a 4-3 shootout victory.
Joseph, who was Arizona's first-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft before the Penguins acquired him in 2019 as part of the Alex Galchenyuk-Phil Kessel trade, also recorded three shots, three hits and drew a penalty in 13:02 of ice time.
It marked Joseph's first game action since March 11, 2020, the final contest of his first professional season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
"It's been a roller coaster today," Joseph said following the win. "A lot of emotion. The guys have been great with me in the room. I felt like I was part of the team. I felt like my nerves were pretty high going in, but once the game started, it's hockey.
"I've been playing this sport forever, and I just told myself to enjoy the first one because it only comes once. The boys on the bench really just made me feel comfortable out there and I'm really happy."

And the boys were thrilled for Joseph, who was recalled this morning after an influx of injuries to the blue line, as Marcus Pettersson, Juuso Riikola and Mike Matheson are all currently sidelined with upper-body injuries.
"He played really well," Kris Letang said. "I think he's a solid two-way defenseman. He looked like he'd played 10 years in the league (laughs), he's so calm and composed. We saw that he can bring some offense and he played really well. He's a great person and I think everybody was pretty happy for him."
That happiness extends beyond Penguins teammates and fans for Joseph. His older brother is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph, who watched him play on TV, while his mother Frantzi watched him play in person after all safety precautions were taken.
"I was really grateful that my mom was able to make it," Joseph said after the game. "It's partly because of her that I'm here today with all the sacrifices that she made. It was great to know that she was there."

Frantzi will likely be the one holding onto the puck commemorating her younger son's first point, which came at the 11:23 mark of the third. He took a feed from Kasperi Kapanen and banked a pass off the back boards to Teddy Blueger at the side of the net, who buried it before Rangers goalie Ilya Shesterkin could react.
"I don't think it was (my intention to hit the boards), but it's good that it tied the game and that I got that point behind me," Joseph said. "But the most important thing right now is the W. I was really happy with first game, first W. So the two points count a lot."
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said they always dress the lineup that gives them the best chance to win, and Joseph helped them do exactly that.
"I thought he had a terrific first game in the NHL," Sullivan said. "I thought he made some nice, subtle plays to help us get out of our end. You can see his skating ability and how strong of a skater he is. He's got a long reach. I thought he defended hard and he played within himself; he kept the game simple."