Glen Allen native Jones expected to make NHL debut

Glen Allen native Zac Jones is expected to make his National Hockey League debut Thursday night for the New York Rangers. In doing so, he would become the first NHL player born in the Richmond area.

Jones, a 5-foot-10 defenseman, was the 68th pick in the 2019 NHL draft and signed with the Rangers earlier this month, days after finishing his collegiate career at UMass – which culminated with an NCAA championship.

Jones's father, Rob, arrived in Glen Allen in 1992 after taking a job as the equipment manager for the Richmond Renegades, a minor league team that played in the East Coast Hockey League.

Zac Jones told NHL.com in 2018 that a miniature rink that his dad and several other dads built for their kids spurred his interest in the sport – and helped him hone his skills.

"And that's all we did," Jones told the website. "We'd go to school and be done and go to the mini-rink. That's what changed my life, really, was playing at that little rink, honing my skills there, trying to work on new things and stuff like that."