THUNDERSTRUCK: Former Princeton Day School boys’ hockey star Ross Colton enjoys the moment after scoring a goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning last Wednesday in his NHL debut. Forward Colton tallied 6:43 into the contest on a feed from Victor Hedman to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead as they went on to a 3-0 win. (Photo provided courtesy of Ross Colton)
By Bill Alden
It took place in Tampa Bay last Wednesday evening, but it left Ross Colton thinking of a Hollywood script.
Making his NHL debut for the Tampa Bay Lightning, former Princeton Day School standout Colton scored a goal on his second shift of the night, helping the Lightning to a 3-0 win.
“Two days afterwards, it still hadn’t really sunk in,” said Colton, 24, in a phone interview last Sunday.
“It felt like a movie or something. It was like ‘wow, that was awesome.’ That is what I kept telling myself, ‘that was awesome.’”
Colton’s awesome moment drew the attention of friends, former teammates, and coaches in the area as texts and tweets were buzzing around Central Jersey last Wednesday night.
“The thing that really sticks out is how many people reached out and were so supportive of me,” recalled Colton, a 6’0, 191-pound forward.
“After the game, my phone was pretty crazy. I had 200 or so texts and a bunch of Instagram posts and snap chats. It was almost overwhelming. I am doing my best to thank everyone. It is so awesome to see that many people follow me and support me. It was pretty cool, for sure.” more