Jordan Eberle shows confidence as he adjusts to NHL spotlight
Edmonton Oilers rookie forward, the 20-year-old Jordan Eberle, first made a name for himself when he scored a goal with just 5.4 seconds to go to help lead Canada to victory over Russia in the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship. But since cracking the
Oilers lineup, the young Saskatchewan native is becoming better known across the NHL for the goal he scored in his first ever NHL regular season game.
"It's nice to have someone ask about a different goal," Eberle said on Wednesday, October 13. "Obviously, if you talk to any NHL player, they remember their first goal. I would have taken it any way. Whether it bounced off someone's butt or whatever it would
have been nice. It's good to get it out of the way, too. It can build up [pressure] after a few games if you don't get it. To get it right in the first game was nice. Now all I have to do is worry about the second one."
The goal that has everybody talking came in Edmonton's season opener against the Calgary Flames on October 7. Eberle's spectacular individual effort, while shorthanded, is already being considered as a potential goal-of-the-year candidate.
"It has been a hot topic," Eberle said of his highlight reel goal. "For me, you have to look past it and to the next game. You have to be able to perform."
When asked about adjusting to life in the NHL, Eberle said, "It has sunk in a little bit. Me and (fellow rookie superstar Taylor) Hall found a place and we're living together. We're starting our first road trip today (against the Minnesota Wild). Obviously,
you want to get comfortable to the point where you're able to play (well), but at the same time you don't want to get too comfortable because you realize if you don't perform you can be sent down. I want to say it keeps you motivated, but how can you not be
motivated when you're playing in the NHL? This is what I've been preparing myself for. It's really a dream come true."
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