The Edmonton Oilers’ rookies and Calgary Flames’ rookies will face off in an exhibition game at Rogers Place on Friday (Sept. 12). Both squads will be composed entirely of players attending their respective NHL franchise’s Rookie Camp.
This will mark the first time since 2018 that the Oilers have played in Edmonton during Rookie Camp. In recent years, the Oilers’ rookies have competed at the Young Stars Classic hosted by the Vancouver Canucks in Penticton, B.C. That event, which featured rookie teams from the Western Canadian NHL franchises, was cancelled by the Canucks after last year.
Rookie Camp Battle of Alberta tickets are on sale NOW‼️
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 4, 2025
Catch the #Oilers Rookies with Savoie, Howard, Hutson, Akey & many more as they take on the Flames Rookies at @RogersPlace next Friday.
🎟️ https://t.co/CFi44OAane pic.twitter.com/lVFOSIPvKv
The Young Stars Classic was ideal from a development and evaluation standpoint, as each team got to play three times over the course of the event. But the Rookie Camp game against the Flames at Rogers Place will at least give fans in Edmonton a chance to see their favourite team’s rookies, and for a much more affordable price than regular-season games.
With that in mind, here are three Oilers – one goaltender, one defenceman, and one forward – to watch when the Rookie Camp edition of the Battle of Alberta takes place.
Goaltender: Nathaniel Day
Nathaniel Day, who Edmonton selected 184th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, was the most impressive goaltender for the Oilers at the Young Stars Classic in both 2023 and 2024. That includes picking up a win against the Flames in Penticton two years ago. Last year, Day shone against the Canucks’ rookies, stopping 28 of 30 shots.
In 2024-25, Day was named team MVP of the Flint Firebirds after leading all Ontario Hockey League (OHL) goalies with 59 games played. Once Flint was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Day signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers.
Related: 6 Things to Know About Oilers’ Goalie Prospect Nathaniel Day
The 20-year-old then had a tremendous stint with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets: he appeared in three regular-season games, going 2-0 with a 0.43 goals against average (GAA) and .981 save percentage (SV%), then saw action in five Kelly Cup Playoff contests, going 2-2 with a 2.17 GAA and .914 SV%.
As he looks to begin his climb up the professional ranks, Day could end up splitting netminder duties with Connor Ungar in Fort Wayne this coming season.
Defenceman: Beau Akey
In 2023, Beau Akey was one of the most talked-about players at Oilers rookie camp. The defenceman had just been drafted 56th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by Edmonton, and he made quite an impression with his play in the Young Stars Classic.
But only a month into the 2023-24 OHL season with the Barrie Colts, Akey was seriously injured in a collision. He required surgery on both of his shoulders, and the recovery was so prolonged that he was unable to play at the Young Stars Classic last year.
Now he’ll finally get another chance to show his stuff at Oilers Rookie Camp, following a successful return to action last season. In 2024-25, he notched 32 points and recorded a plus-10 rating in 52 games for the Colts, while also representing Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship. During Oilers development camp in July, Akey said he’s “100 percent now”.
While Akey is eligible to return to the OHL to play one more season as an over-ager, expectations are that he will join Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, in 2025-26.
Forward: Matthew Savoie
Matthew Savoie, who Edmonton acquired via trade with the Buffalo Sabres last summer, is unique on the Oilers Rookie Camp roster in that he has already played in the NHL. He suited up for one game for the Sabres in 2023-24, and four with the Oilers last season, registering one assist.
The centre from St. Albert spent the rest of 2024-25 in the AHL with the Condors, finishing second on the team with 54 points from 19 goals and 35 assists in 66 games. Following Bakersfield’s season, Savoie was recalled by the Oilers and served as one of the “Black Aces” during Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Now three years removed from being selected ninth overall by Buffalo in the 2022 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old Savoie appears poised to become a full-time NHLer in 2025-26. The offseason departure of Connor Brown has left a void on Edmonton’s penalty kill, an area in which Savoie excels. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch recently said of Savoie, “I definitely see him being a big part of our penalty kill.”
There will be a number of other Oilers rookies to keep an eye on this Friday, including some of their selections from June’s NHL Draft. Game time at Rogers Place is 7 p.m.
