Clifton Park native Nick Petrecki is less than an hour away from making his regular-season professional hockey debut with the Worcester Sharks at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Drafted in the first round, 28th overall, by San Jose prior to his freshman season at Boston College, Petrecki and Co. will be facing the Adirondack Phantoms, marking the return of AHL hockey to the city of Glens Falls after a 10-year absence.
"I'm real excited," Petrecki said by phone this week. "I moved away from home at an early age and I've been traveling all around everywhere. I played two years out west and I know it was tough on my parents; they couldn't really get out to watch a lot of games.
"The last two years were better for them because it was within driving range. They came to every game. Now to be able to be here in Worcester where a lot of family and friends can see me play, it's pretty special."
A hulking 6-foot-3, 215-pound defenseman, Petrecki played three NHL preseason games for San Jose and one for Worcester. He signed an entry-level contract in the spring but decided to finish his sophomore year at school before turning pro. The Eagles won the NCAA championship in 2008.
"My first year (at BC) was a great year. Second year was kind of an up and down year for me personally and the team, Petrecki said. "It was defnitely tough to leave school. You're in your comfort zone there. You're at college, you're with all your friends, having a good time and stuff like that. It goes back to the ultimate goal to play pro hockey. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I believe it was definitely the right decision. Hopefully, I'll be up in San Jose at some point, but I'm in a great situation here to learn and get better."
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