There are few Oilers whose lore is larger than that of Fernando Pisani.

🎵 There was someone on the ice that night, won’t lose the fight, Fernando 🎵

Fernando Pisani’s career culminated in his biggest moment on June 14th, 2006. The Oilers were amid a slog against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals, and June 14th saw the two sides engage in game five of their seven-game series.

With the game tied 3-3 in overtime, the Hurricanes had a powerplay and rearguard Cory Stillman was trying to move the puck out of the Carolina zone. He flubbed a pass to Eric Staal in the process, and Pisani, who was holding the blue line, jumped the puck coming off the half wall towards the middle of the rink.

Pisani took the puck, walked in alone on Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, and after five quick strides, fired a hard wrist shot high glove-side. The Oilers won.

It’s not just the goal that the Edmonton market will never forget, it was an entire playoff performance from Pisani that stood tall.

After being drafted in the eighth round of the 1996 draft by the Oilers, Pisani — who just wrapped up a 103-point season with the AJHL’s St. Albert Saints — was off to the NCAA’s Providence College. He turned pro years later in 2000-01 with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, and made his NHL debut two years later. By 2003-04, he worked himself into a lineup regular and in 2005-06, had a career year.

He drew in for 80 games for the Oilers scoring 18 goals and 37 points, and his 14 goals in 24 playoff games lead all post-season scorers. Pisani never reached such highs again in his career largely in part due to a 2007 diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Even still, he played in the NHL through the 2010-11 season where he spent his final season with the Chicago Blackhawks.

All-in-all, the Edmonton native’s career is nothing short of a success story as such a late-round pick and when it was all said and done, he played 402 games for the Oilers over seven seasons scoring 80 goals and 153 points.

Not a bad career a all, Fernando.