“Oh this is SO COOL! One of my new favorites already!”: Fans react as Ozzy Wiesblatt introduces himself in sign language ahead of NHL debut

Ozzy Wiesblatt will make his NHL debut tonight for the Nashville Predators against the Vancouver Canucks. Ahead of the game, he introduced himself in sign language to honor his hearing-impaired parents, impressing fans.

The Nashville Predators posted a video on X, saying:

“Get to know the new kid on the block 🤝”.

In the clip, Ozzy said,

"My name's Ozzy, people call me OZ. Doesn't matter, I'm from Calgary. Yeah, I learned sign language from my mom, my first language you could say. All my brothers know it, and my little sister. Yeah, I'm very excited to be here. Excited fr my family and everything."

The video quickly gained attention, with fans praising Ozzy Wiesblatt’s thoughtful gesture.

"Oh this is SO COOL! One of my new favorites already!" a fan wrote.

“Sorry things never worked out for you here in San Jose, Ozzy. Rooting for you to do great with the Preds (just not against us, OK? 🙂).” A San Jose fan wrote,

"one of the best guys i've ever met, so excited for his nhl debut he deserves this so much" a fan said.

Ozzy Wiesblatt was a first-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Draft. Here are some more reactions on X:

"I absolutely love the ASL community inclusion - I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it, this is so amazing," a fan said.

"I’m glad you got the call up Ozzy, going to miss you in MKE!," another fan said.

"one of the best guys i've ever met, so excited for his nhl debut he deserves this so much," one fan shared.

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For Ozzy Wiesblatt: "It’s a dream come true"

Ozzy Wiesblatt got a call on New Year’s Eve from Predators assistant GM Scott Nichol with the exciting news. The 22-year-old forward was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals and will make his NHL debut against Vancouver.

“I just broke down, crying like a baby and it was hilarious,” Wiesblatt said with a laugh, per NHL.com, “But yeah, just super excited to be here, honestly. It’s a dream come true.”

Wiesblatt signed a two-year deal with Nashville in November. He has seven goals and 14 points in 27 AHL games this season.

He thanked Milwaukee’s coaches for helping him improve and said that he always stayed hungry for this opportunity.

“(I’m a) hard-nosed player that’s not afraid of bigger guys … scrums, stuff like that,” Wiesblatt shared.

“It’s a dream come true,” Ozzy Wiesblatt said, reflecting on stepping into an NHL rink and dressing room.

Wiesblatt’s older brothers and family plan to attend his debut, marking a proud moment for him and his family.