When Zach Aston-Reese became the second Staten Island-born player to appear in a National Hockey League game, his family didn’t have to travel far to attend his debut.
A short trip across the Goethals Bridge was all it took. Aston-Reese, now in his second full professional season, donned a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey for the first time on Feb. 3 when his team visited the New Jersey Devils. It wasn’t the first time he played at Prudential Center either, since he called the Devils’ adjoining practice rink home for two seasons when he skated for the New Jersey Rockets.
"It doesn’t matter where I play my first game," the left-handed shooting forward said that night. "But it’s nice to be home in a familiar place, and nice for my family. It’s only 20 minutes away."
