As expected, the NAIT/MacEwan all-star team didn’t stand a chance against the Oilers rookie team this time around. Final score: 9-1 rookies.
In what was a pretty boring game, the Oilers rookies were better, faster, and stronger than the College Boys this year. The shot clock (68-16) pretty much says it all. I just got home from the game and what I’m seeing on Twitter is a pretty upset group of fans that the Oilers are no longer playing the Golden Bears in the annual rookie vs an-Edmonton-University-team game. Although that may be true, I’m sure the NAIT/MacEwan squad enjoyed playing against the Oiler rookies and really soaked up the experience.
The rookies have arrived! pic.twitter.com/3hCxhOkFIk
— OilersNation.com (@OilersNation) September 12, 2018
It’s important to note that the Oiler rookies bounced back from a disappointing loss last year against the NAIT/MacEwan all-star game. Even though they badly outshot the University squad last year, the Oilers ended up losing 2-0.
Unfortunately because of the way the game turned out, it was very difficult to assess the Oilers rookies and how they played individually. One guy who without a doubt stood out to me and everyone else was Tyler Benson. He looked extremely poised and experienced out there, and was extremely confident in moving the puck. The Oilers rookie team as a whole stood out to me on how physical they were. Lagesson and Vessey kicked off the first period with a couple enormous hits that got the crowd going. The team didn’t let up throughout the game and it ended up getting pretty chippy.
Here are a couple other observations I noticed throughout the game.
- Caleb Jones & Ryan McLeod also had very strong games. They dominated the play and put up five points combined tonight.
- Both Connor McDavid AND Kailer Yamamoto weren’t on the ice tonight and I was very disappointed.
- Dylan Wells didn’t face a lot of shots but he was forced to make a few difficult saves which can’t be easy under the circumstances.
- I don’t really know much about Oilers prospect, Ryan Van Stralen but he looks even older than Evan Bouchard does, I was shocked.
- Evan Bouchard didn’t show a ton of flash tonight but wasn’t tested very much in the defensive zone. He was firing slap shots from the point every chance he took, and even got a couple helpers on the score sheet.
- The College Boys team were obviously out matched tonight, and it forced them to take a ton of penalties. The Oiler rookies spent a lot of the game on the power play.
- I’m sorry to remind you but the beers at Rogers Place are still $13 bucks. It was an extremely disappointing reality check when we got in the line.
We just remembered what it was like to buy a $14 beer. 🍻😩 pic.twitter.com/MMwlb8XYZP
— OilersNation.com (@OilersNation) September 12, 2018
Lineups
Because no official lineups were entered before the game and Baggedmilk pretty much had to guess in his GDB earlier today, I thought I’d throw in the actual rosters from both teams.
Oilers
Benson – McLeod – Vesel
Hebig – Marody – Gust
Maksimov – Larkin – Vesey
Van Stralen – Esposito – Polei
Jones – Bouchard
Kulevich – Lagesson
Crevier-Morin – Day
Wells
Rodrigue
NAIT/Macewan
F – Dallas Smith
C – Brayden Harris
F – Brett Njaa
F – Cam Gotaas
LW – Jake Mykitiuk
LW – Brandon Ralph
F – Ryan Baskerville
F – Brett Smythe
LW – Tyler Robertson
C – Thomas Foster
LW – Tanner Dunkle
F – Nolan Yaremchuk
D – Jordan Davies
D – Stefan Danielson
D – Tyler Morrison
D – Austin Yaremchuk
D – Isaac Farrah
D – Colton Waltz
G – Marc-Olivier Daigle
G – Brendan Jensen
Yes pic.twitter.com/zXncNOQjUu
— OilersNation.com (@OilersNation) September 12, 2018
Did you watch the game tonight? Whether online or at the rink? Let me know in the comments what you thought of the rookies performance.
Some of these rookies look very promising.
Not sure how the story of the Yaremchuk brothers playing together in an All Star game isn’t deserving of a full page article….
Couple of things I noticed:
1. Jones and Benson have been the two best rookies thus far.
2. Bouchard really likes to jump up into offence a lot whether it be joining the rush, or sneaking down low for a back door tap in. I hope he does that less and works more on his defensive game next season. But boy does he have great passing and vision. Can’t wait to see him throw the puck to Connor in a season or two.
3. Wells was much better. I didn’t see the 3rd period vs Calgary, but I heard he let in a couple soft ones. And for a guy who didn’t face a lot of shots, he made some important saves.
Other than that, it was just Boys vs Men out there.
CORRECTION:
BOUCHARD will be passing and shooting in the NHL THIS SEASON!!
Right now Bouchard doesn’t look as good as Bear or Jones another year in juniors and a year in Bakersfield.
Any assessment of last nights game should be just thrown away. What a joke, when you fail to give a failing farm team a real challenge. I was a waisted chance to evaluate the players you have. The kids in oilers colours deserved better, no offence to the Grant Mac and Nait players, they played to the best abilities. It’s just if you want to to a proper evaluation then provide legitimate competition.
Living amongst this cities fan base is challenge enough.
At least you showed that the players on the NAIT/MacEwan team actually have names and are real people. I tried to listen to the game for a bit last night on the radio, but they kept mentioning the player Nate MacEwan. It took a minute but then I realized that the Oilers play by play guy didn’t even try to know the names of the players. I then switched radio stations.
That photo – was it intended to show how crappy the attendance was? Man, what an embarrassment all around.
I noticed the massive crowd in the picture too. I wonder what the picture might have looked like if Conner played?
(And what the score might have been too – yikes.)
Yeah, $25 tickets for that? yikes.
I have to say … when I was reminded that the Oilers rookies lost to the NAIT/GM all-stars last year, that kind of took some of the starch out of the criticism. A win was a win last year.
That said, it would be better if they could resurrect the game between the Oilers rookies and the Golden Bears, if only because it’s better competition. I think that all last night really did was rekindle interest in finding out why that arrangement was done way with last year.
Because Katz. The guy is an idiot.
I stopped paying rediculous prices for beer. I use my wifes grandmothers colostomy bags to sneak in booze
Unused ones I hope.
$30 ticket, $12 beers, no intensity, weak competition, no bear or yamamoto, FAIL!
Sorry Im late to the party, but hey this game was exactly what is was supposed to be on the ice. The kids from school are just that while the Oiler rookies are pushing for working jobs and therefore are not supposed to let up. I know the game wasn’t intense competition wise but Im very glad to see the rookies trying to keep their momentum going to impress for jobs with the Oilers, Condors, and Wichita Thunder. Next, is that come on people, this was an Fundraiser for the schools… plain and simple. I didn’t go (live in Sask) but if I could I would have went to cheer the rookies and support the NAIT & MacEwan Programs. Last but not least, Benson, Jones, McLeod, and then Bouchard have impressed the most in camp to me. Tonight will be a bigger test again against the Flames Rookies, and I am going to see if (and hope) the Oilers have a bit of vengeance tonight. Its training camp and no big deal for now. The rookies have been going well but the goalies haven’t done much so far. Tonight I hope the Oiler rookies go for 6 to 2 against the Flames, with Yamamoto getting 2 at least. Hope Makisimov plays again and really shows up tonight as well.
well it should be a little easier for the Oil prospects considering the Flames are sitting 2 thirds of the top line from last game.
This game reminds me of early season NCAA football games when say Alabama play Blueballs State and the only question is whether the final spread will be 50 or 60 points. Some kind of inetersquad game or scrimmage wold have been a better tool to evaluate players. Are there enough rookies is camp for an intersquad game?
Are the Yaremchuk(s) related and related to the ON writer with the same name?