Oilers’ Top 5 Memorable Moments From Last Season

The Edmonton Oilers had an underwhelming 2025-26 season. They had high expectations, but didn’t meet them. They couldn’t sustain a rhythm or generate any momentum. We never knew which team would show up, which was frustrating for the fan base. They were inconsistent throughout, and eventually flamed out in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite this early exit and disappointing season, the Oilers still provided entertainment throughout the campaign. With that said, here are the Oilers’ top five most memorable moments from last season.

Connor Clattenburg Made an Immediate Impact

Connor Clattenburg made his NHL debut on Nov. 22 against the Florida Panthers, and he came exactly as advertised. The Oilers selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and he rapidly climbed up the prospect rankings. He’s not a flashy offensive threat, but he’s a prototypical fourth-line player who’s physical and plays with an edge. At the time of his call-up, the Oilers desperately needed more grit and physicality in the lineup. He didn’t play much, but he was noticeable and injected life into the group.

He only played five games with Edmonton before an eye injury landed him on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). When he was activated from LTIR, he was sent back down to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). With the Oilers, he averaged just 7:12 of ice time, but scored his first NHL goal in his second game against the Dallas Stars. His goal was the result of winning a battle in front of the net and finding the loose puck in the crease. The Oilers lacked those types of goals all season. He also added 13 penalty minutes, 17 hits, and one fight. The 21-year-old fought Frederick Gaudreau from the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 29. He knew his role and provided much-needed energy.

Bouchard & Ekholm Scored Back-To-Back Hat Tricks

Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each scored a hat trick in back-to-back games during Edmonton’s eight-game homestand in January. First, Bouchard scored the team’s first three goals en route to a thrilling 6-5 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals on Jan. 24. He also added three assists to cap off a six-point game. This was the Oilers’ first hat trick by a defenceman since Marc-Andrè Bergeron accomplished that feat on Jan. 14, 2006. Bouchard became the fourth defenceman in franchise history to record a hat trick, joining Bergeron, Risto Siltanen, who did it once, and Paul Coffey, who did it four times.

Oilers are first team in 25 years to have D-men score four goals in a period. Is only 6th time in NHL history a team has done. Second time EDM has. pic.twitter.com/l1MnmvoxYA

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) January 27, 2026

Then, Ekholm scored a hat trick the next game, in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 26. After two decades between hat tricks from the blue line, it only took two days for the next one. His first goal gave Edmonton a 3-2 lead 6:28 into the second period, and then he added another two minutes later. He finished his night by securing the win with an empty-netter. This is the only time in NHL history that a defenceman scored a hat trick in back-to-back games for the same team. That game against Anaheim also marked the first time in 25 years that a team got four goals by defencemen in a single period, and the sixth time in NHL history. Ekholm had two, Spencer Stastney had one, and Darnell Nurse added another. This was a memorable two games in Oil Country.

Oilers Finally Secured a Three-Game Winning Streak

It took 55 games, but the Oilers finally secured a three-game winning streak. They struggled to find consistency all season, and didn’t string together three straight wins until the end of January. This mini streak happened during the same stretch as those back-to-back hat tricks by Bouchard and Ekholm.

The third win was against the San Jose Sharks at home on Jan. 29. This was a memorable moment in its own right. The Oilers were down 3-0 within the first 10 minutes, and trailed by that score heading into the third period. They responded with three goals in the final period, including two in the final 3:05 to force overtime, before eventually winning it just 1:06 into the extra frame. Edmonton’s only other extended winning streak was a five-gamer from March 24 until April 2. Hopefully they have more success stringing wins together this season.

Leon Draisaitl’s 1,000th NHL Point

Leon Draisaitl became the first German-born player to record 1,000 NHL points. He reached this historical milestone on Dec. 16 on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had four assists in this game in a 6-4 victory. His 1,000th point came on the game’s first goal, which was a secondary assist on Zach Hyman’s 5-on-3 power-play marker midway through the first period. He was the 103rd player, and 21st born outside North America, to accomplish this feat.

This goal was scored on Stuart Skinner, which made this moment even more unique. Skinner was drafted and developed through the Oilers’ system. He played 197 regular-season games for Edmonton, while adding another 50 playoff games, including two Stanley Cup Final appearances. He was traded from Edmonton to Pittsburgh just a few days before, and this was his first start with his new team. This was a monumental moment, and sadly, Skinner was a part of it.

Oilers’ Third-Period Comeback Against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1

This was the last truly exciting moment for Oilers fans last season. In Game 1 of Round 1 against the Ducks, the Oilers had a 2-0 lead after the first period. But that lead quickly evaporated in the middle frame, as they trailed 3-2 heading into the third period. However, they battled back and scored two third-period goals to win the game 4-3. Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen were the only goal scorers.

Dickinson tied the game at the 11:30 mark, then Kapanen scored the game-winner with under two minutes remaining. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there as Edmonton lost the next three games and lost the series in six. That was an electric moment, despite the final result.

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