New York – This couldn’t have worked out better for defenseman Dylan McIlrath.
McIlrath was called up from Grand Rapids on Tuesday and was to make his NHL season debut Wednesday night – against the team that drafted him.
Coach Jeff Blashill confirmed McIlrath would be in the lineup against the Rangers.
McIlrath, 27, was a 2010 first-round pick of the Rangers, but has since bounced around to the Florida Panthers organization, then to the Wings.
“When you get the call, no matter the circumstances, you’re happy,” McIlrath said after Wednesday’s morning skate.