49 m. ago 'Bruce meant a whole lot': hockey world reacts to the death of Bruce McCurdy

Cult of Hockey writer Bruce McCurdy died in the early morning hours of April 2, 2025. I’ll have more to say in days to come, as I’m still in shock. But I think Bruce would be appreciative of what the hockey world is saying about him. I’ve gathered together some of those thoughts, starting with […]

Sport

87 m. ago Two skilled European centres signed by the Oilers took different paths to the NHL club

If you are the Edmonton Oilers and in serious win-now mode with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and trading away draft picks for immediate help, one of the few avenues to travel to restock the pipeline is through European free-agency. So, we bring you Josh Samanski and David Tomasek. Two skilled centres who have gone […]

Economics

18 h. ago No McDavid, no problem as Edmonton Oilers make a statement in Vegas

If there was any game that reassured an Oilers fan base that had every reason to worry about what this spring might hold for their team, Tuesday night in Vegas was it. Still without Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm and Stuart Skinner and moving up to the heavyweight division against a power team at the top […]

Other

18 h. ago Player grades: Draisaitl, Pickard drive victory again, as Edmonton Oilers beat Vegas Golden Knights 3

Leon Draisaitl gave away the lead in the first but got it back in the second, leading the Edmonton Oilers to an 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Calvin Pickard also came up huge, making a huge stop with 90 seconds left. The game was a tight-checking defensive struggle. Edmonton now has 91 points, […]

Other

26 h. ago Oilers mailbag: Who's in and out as injured Oilers return to the lineup

The playoffs are almost here again — let’s hear it for a fourth straight Edmonton-Los Angeles matchup in round one — which brings us to some Oilers fan questions. Here’s a few. Q: Which 3 Oilers forwards who played Saturday against Calgary, come out if 97, 91 and Frederic are all healthy? (Reid W.) A: […]

Other

27 h. ago Jeff Skinner stepping up for Edmonton Oilers in McDavid's absence

Having an otherwise snakebitten Skinner stand up and shoulder the load is as much a testament to him as a player as it is a welcome surprise.

Other

28 h. ago McDavid and brand new Oiler finally take the ice together but Skinner demoted

Game Day 74: Oilers vs VGK This in from Bob Stauffer of the Oilers, Edmonton’s line-up for tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, with the big news being that Connor McDavid and newcomer Trent Frederic were back on the ice. In other news, Jeff Skinner was bumped down from his spot on the second […]

Sport

52 h. ago Edmonton Oilers go shopping in the "smart, competitive D" aisle, sign college free agent

Edmonton Oilers have made their first signing of 2025 from an important market, namely college free agents. As the NCAA season draws to a close — just four teams left now — a window opens for its players ready to step into professional hockey. Some sign with the NHL team that drafted them, while others […]

Culture

65 h. ago Who is the NHL's deadliest dual scoring threat? It's definitely Draisaitl

Seems like we’ve been talking about Leon Draisaitl quite a bit at the Cult of Hockey lately. Pre-game Saturday, when I wrote of his impending return to a depleted Edmonton Oilers line-up badly in need of a boost. Post-game, when David Staples awarded him the highest grade of any Oiler after yet another brilliant performance by #29 […]

Events

3 d. ago Calvin Pickard is now man of the moment for Edmonton Oilers in net

Goalie Stuart Skinner will not be on the plane to Vegas on Monday afternoon as the Edmonton Oilers start their road trip, which means Calvin Pickard is the net presence for the foreseeable future. Skinner, who took an inadvertent knee in the head Wednesday in the 4-3 loss to Dallas, would normally be the go-to […]

Other

3 d. ago Good news on major Oilers trade acquisition, iffy news on McDavid and Ekholm

This in from the Edmonton Oilers practice, some good news on major Edmonton Oilers trade acquisition Trent Frederic, but iffy news on the injury status of Connor McDavid, Stuart Skinner, Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg. Reported Tony Brar of Oilers TV: “McDavid, Ekholm, S. Skinner & Klingberg will not be initially flying out with the […]

Politics

3 d. ago Is there any doubt? Leon Draisaitl is this year's Most Valuable Player

If Leon Draisaitl lost any ground in the race for the NHL’s Hart and Ted Lindsay awards because he sat out four games and dropped to third in league scoring, he made all of it back in one giant leap Saturday night. Might as well call it “one giant leap for mankind” because it was […]

Other

3 d. ago And the legend of the Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl continues to grow: 9 Things

What a hockey game Saturday night! The National Hockey League cheats its fans when it only schedules the Battle of Alberta three times in a season. But like all great dramas, this one had a star at the heart of its plot. That and more in this edition of 9 Things 9. I have lost […]

Other

3 d. ago Three takeaways as Flames admit ‘we kind of blew it’ in Edmonton

For nearly 57 minutes, Dustin Wolf and the Calgary Flames had silenced the NHL’s leading lamp-lighter. And then, with 3:12 remaining in regulation, Leon Draisaitl sniped his 50th of the season. During the sudden-death session, the Edmonton Oilers’ second-fiddle superstar scored No. 51. In what was a speedy, scrappy, tight-checking and hard-hitting edition of the […]

Other

4 d. ago NHL's leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl coming back in for Oilers

Something might as well start going right for the Edmonton Oilers. With league-leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl returning to the lineup as early as Saturday’s Battle of Alberta against a diehard Calgary Flames squad battling for its playoff life, the Oilers will take any and all help they can get at this point in the […]

Other

4 d. ago Welcome news as Leon Draisaitl rejoins Edmonton Oilers for crucial Battle of Alberta

Game Day 73: Calgary at Edmonton When Edmonton Oilers recently lost superstar forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to injury in consecutive games, the immediate and obvious concern was, how on earth will the team compensate for its missing offence? After all, Draisaitl had scored 101 points and McDavid 90 before their departure from the line-up. The […]

Events

4 d. ago 'You have to set the tone': Oilers must get nasty protecting their goalie, Hall

This in from Hall of Fame great Chris Pronger, hero of Edmonton’s 2006 run to the Stanley Cup Final, his prescription for how the Oilers should handle anyone who runs an Edmonton goalie, as Mikko Rantanen blasted Stuart Skinner, knocking him out of Wednesday night’s game. Speaking on the Ray & Dregs podcast, Pronger said: […]

Other

4 d. ago 'If you have to take a suspension, take one': NHL legend says Oilers must better protect goalies

This in from Hall of Fame great Chris Pronger, hero of Edmonton’s 2006 run to the Stanley Cup Final, his prescription for how the Oilers should handle anyone who runs an Edmonton goalie, as Mikko Rantanen blasted Stuart Skinner, knocking him out of Wednesday night’s game. Speaking on the Ray & Dregs podcast, Pronger said: […]

Other

5 d. ago Stanley Cup? Will the Edmonton Oilers even survive the first round?

It’s time to worry. With just 10 games left until they have to face a big, hard, hungry Los Angeles Kings team that’s peaking at the right time, has revenge on its mind and has the inside track on home-ice advantage, the Edmonton Oilers look nowhere near ready. Stanley Cup? If things keep going the […]

Other

5 d. ago 'The best thing for the Oilers': NHL insider with surprising spin on injuries

This in from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who recently spent a few days in Edmonton, his surprisingly positive spin on the Edmonton Oilers’ injury situation. On his 32 Thoughts podcast this Friday, Friedman said Leon Draisaitl might be back playing Saturday night, with McDavid a little longer. “You know, the one thing I […]

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