Penn State Hockey: Casey Bailey Puts Up Solid Effort In NHL Debut

Just a week ago now former Nittany Lion forward Casey Bailey was playing against Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament.

On Thursday night he took his very first shift of what he hopes to be a long NHL career. And across from him in a Florida Panthers’ uniform, one of the NHL’s all-time greats, Jaromir Jagr.

“It’s incredible,” Bailey said in an NHL.com interview after the game. “He’s obviously one of the most recognizable guys in the league right now and to be on the ice with him and to see him play it’s incredible, I’m honored.”

Overall Bailey’s first NHL performance was a positive. Logging just under 12 minutes of ice time on the Toronto’s fourth line, Bailey ended the game at +1, on the ice for the Leafs’ only goal of the game. While Penn State’s leading goal scorer in 2014-15 didn’t get a shot on net, he continued to look more and more comfortable in his new settings, even seeing a short bit of time on the man advantage.

His only shot of the evening was deflected high into the glass, but it seems to be only a matter of time before one of the NCAA’s leading shot takers picks up his first official shot on goal in the NHL.

“I think after getting that first game away I’ll hopefully be more comfortable,” Bailey said of the nerves he felt. “I’m living a dream, it’s pretty surreal.”

Toronto is back in action at home on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators for a 7:00 PM puck drop.

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