The trajectory of Matt Highmore’s hockey career got steep in a hurry last season.

The 22-year-old centre from Dartmouth went from being an undrafted free agent about to run out of time as a prospect to an NHL player in almost exactly one calendar year. He signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 2, 2017, launched his pro career with their American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford that fall and played his first big-league game on March 1, 2018.

“That was pretty special,” he said of the phone call with the news he’d been called up. “I actually had my mom in town visiting and it was really nice to share that moment with her. It was a lot of excitement.

“It was very, very satisfying especially after all the hard work that not only I put in but also my whole family and the people who are close to me. They’ve sacrificed so much for me so for us, as a group, to get there is extremely special.”

Highmore made his NHL debut in San Jose against the Sharks and had to buckle down psychologically to make sure he wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment. He wound up seeing 14:03 of ice time in his first game.

“It was just like any other game; at least that’s how I tried to treat it. But it really wasn’t,” he said. “I was definitely nervous about it and I wanted it to go well, which I think it did. I just built off the first game and tried to keep it going from there.”

Highmore’s home debut came five nights later against the Colorado Avalanche and it was another high point. It was his fourth game with the Blackhawks.

“My first game at the United Center was really cool,” he said. “The atmosphere in Chicago and the fans they have; everything is so great there. That’s something that stood out about my month in the NHL. That game was a really cool moment because I had some of my close friends in town and their parents and also my family so that was really, really nice.”

A road game against the Boston Bruins on March 10 yielded yet another milestone. Highmore received a cross-ice pass at the face-off dot and beat Boston goalie Tuukka Rask on the blocker side for his first NHL goal.

“It was my sixth game and that was great,” he said. “They always say the first couple are the hardest to get and that’s certainly true. Getting your first NHL goal is such a big moment; it really was special. It’s something that makes you want more and more.”

But offence was only part of the reason Highmore got his call-up in the first place. He is an experienced penalty killer and a smart two-way player so he worked hard to make a good impression in those areas during his stint with the Hawks.

“I think my game over the last four or five years has been built around being versatile and I think they see that as well, so it’s one of those things where I just want to continue to work on all facets of my game so I can be used in different situations,” said Highmore, who spent five years with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. “You want to be able to help in whatever way they need you so it’s important to keep getting better at everything.”

Highmore’s stay in the NHL lasted a total of 13 games and he scored another goal against the Vancouver Canucks on March 24. He had a strong finish to his season in the AHL, finishing one point off the team scoring lead for the Rockford IceHogs with 43 points in 64 games. He wound up tied for 12th in AHL rookie scoring and his 24 goals were the best on the IceHogs.

He hopes his outstanding rookie pro season is just a stepping stone to more opportunities with the Hawks.

“I think they were generally pretty pleased with my year,” he said. “Obviously this coming year is a new year but they left me with a few things to work on. I’ve been working on those over the summer and I know I’ll be ready to roll when September comes around.

“It was quite an honour to be able to play the games I did. It was a great experience but hopefully I’ll be able to use what I learned to get better for next year.”