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Shane Wright scores first NHL goal vs. Canadiens, who passed him over in draft

Shane Wright finally has his first NHL goal. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)
Shane Wright finally has his first NHL goal. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images) (NHLI via Getty Images)

As the old saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold, and on Tuesday night, nobody knew that better than Seattle Kraken hotshot rookie Shane Wright.

Last year’s fourth-overall selection finally notched his first career NHL goal, and in the most poetic of circumstances, it came against the Montreal Canadiens — the team that spurned him at the draft last July.

In his first game back in the NHL since his conditioning stint with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds, the 18-year-old snapped a wicked wrister past Jake Allen to knot the score up at one.

For Wright, of course, this one couldn’t have been sweeter — remember the viral look he shot the Canadiens' way just six short months ago? You can bet your bottom dollar he had this game circled on his calendar, and sticking it to the Canadiens likely added an extra thrill to tallying his first goal as a member of the Kraken.

Hockey Twitter, of course, was loving the drama and had plenty to say about the rookie’s big moment.

Despite a slow start to the season that saw him rack up a single assist in seven games, Wright appears to have found his groove while down in the AHL. He scored a pair of goals in his debut against the Calgary Wranglers and concluded his time there with four goals in five games.

Following the Kraken’s game against the Canadiens, Wright is expected to be released to join Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick.

While there, it seems likely he’ll team up with top 2023 NHL prospect Connor Bedard to form what will surely serve as a lethal duo. They'll be part of a Canadian team seeking back-to-back gold medals for the first time since Canada won five in a row from 2005-09.

Despite Wright's best efforts, the Canadiens hung on for a 4-2 win.

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