The Island’s own Dylan Garand made his NHL debut as a goaltender for the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York this weekend.
His debut game was on March 22, making an impressive 35 saves against 37 shots on goal, before the Winnipeg Jets ultimately won in a shootout.
Garand was first drafted to the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Before that, he played with the Juan de Fuca Minor Hockey before going on to join the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
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He would go on to join Team Canada during the 2021 and 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships, and the 2025 World Championships.
The 23-year-old, 6’1” netminder isn’t the only hockey player from the Island to make recent news in the big leagues.
Earlier this month, Nanaimo’s Matthew Wood played his first NHL game in B.C. against the Vancouver Canucks.
Wood plays for the Nashville Predators, and while he was drafted to the NHL in 2023, this month marked the first time he played in his home province.
Meanwhile, Former Alberni Valley Bulldogs player Brandon Buhr recently signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he’ll join the Toronto Marlies with the American Hockey League (AHL) for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on an amateur tryout.
READ MORE: Toronto Maple Leafs sign deal with former Alberni Valley Bulldogs player
Adam Chan is a Digital News Editor who joined CHEK News in 2023. Previously, he worked as an Associate Digital Editor with CTV News Vancouver Island and Victoria Buzz.
In 2023, he was a recipient of…
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