NHL: Nino Niederreiter First NHL Goal 10/13/10

Nino Niederreiter, the youngest player in the NHL this season, is now the youngest New York Islander ever to score a goal and the fourth-youngest in the League since the first expansion in 1967.

Niederreiter, chosen by the Isles with the fifth pick in the Entry Draft this past June, scored his first NHL goal 3:14 into Wednesday’s game against the Capitals at Washington. He is one of six 18-year-olds in the League this season — but is four months and eight days younger than the next-youngest player, Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Niederreiter was 18 years and 35 days old when he scored against Washington goaltender Michal Neuvirth — younger than every first-time goal-scorer except Chicago’s Grant Mulvey in 1974 and Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal in 2006 (18 years, 32 days), and San Jose’s Patrick Marleau, who was 18 years and 34 days old when he scored his first NHL on Oct. 19, 1997. Niederreiter was two days younger than Minnesota’s Brian Bellows, who scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 8, 1982, at 18 years and 37 days.

Ironically, the player earning the primary assist was Doug Weight, who turns 40 in January and is the sixth-oldest player in the League.