One of Maryland’s own got his first NHL goal Tuesday night as Patrick Giles scored for the San Jose Sharks in a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. Giles achieved the milestone in just his second game with the Sharks after being dealt west by the Florida Panthers for goaltender Vitek Vanecek.
Giles, born in Chevy Chase, is only the third Maryland-born NHL player to score a goal. He’s also the first since Potomac, Maryland’s Jeff Halpern scored his final NHL goal for the Phoenix Coyotes on March 24, 2014 against the New York Rangers.
“I didn’t even see it hit the back of the net,” Giles said postgame. “I was just praying that it went in, and then I was just super excited. I don’t even know what I was thinking.”
Giles previously played in nine NHL games for the Panthers but did not record any points. He has 44 career AHL points (21g, 23a) in 187 games for the Charlotte Checkers.
Maryland-born NHL players
| Player | Hometown | Games played | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Halpern, F | Potomac | 976 | 152 |
| Jeff Brubaker, F | Frederick | 178 | 16 |
| Patrick Giles, F | Chevy Chase | 11 | 1 |
| Jamie Fritsch, D | Odenton | 1 | 0 |
| Jeremy Duchesne, G | Silver Spring | 1 | 0 |
Giles skated at center Tuesday night on San Jose’s fourth line, with wingers Barclay Goodrow and Carl Grundstrom providing the assists on his goal.
“Huge moment,” Giles said. “I’ve been thinking about that one for a long time, and it was a great play by my linemates, and I was able to finish it off. It’s great that I was able to produce tonight, but just need to keep going. It’s a big stretch towards the end of the season here, going to keep showing what I can do and try and earn a spot.”
Giles attended Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland for two years before joining the US National Development Team Program. He participated in the Capitals’ 2018 Development Camp before heading to Boston College for four years of college hockey and then signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers in 2022.
The 25-year-old forward is one of many NHL players who have trained under Wendy Marco, the founder of ColdRush Hockey and the Capitals’ skating coach. Marco sent a congratulatory message to her former pupil via Instagram story on Wednesday morning.
“When you’ve known a skater since the start,” Marco wrote. “When you’ve seen the ups and downs. When you’ve witnessed his hard work. When you know how genuinely KIND he is…There simply isn’t a word for emotion you feel when he finally achieves that dream he had back when you first met him, when he was eight years old.”
Giles has one more year left on his two-way contract with the Sharks. He will be a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
