Edmonton Oilers Notes: Mr. Nice Guy strikes again

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Jack Campbell’s legendary reputation as a nice guy grows stronger by the day.

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The Edmonton Oilers starter won over his new teammates from the moment he signed with Edmonton, and the subtle team-first gestures continue at camp.

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“We get along really well,” said Oilers backup goalie Stuart Skinner. “When he first signed, I texted him congratulations and he said, ‘I want to come early and meet you and go to dinner and hang out.’

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“I thought that was so nice of him. We got to know each other and had some fun.”

Despite being the veteran big-name goalie, Campbell felt bad about getting Dylan Holloway’s number this week, so he jumped to another big dinner for the rookie.

“He told me he was taking me out to dinner because he took the number 36,” Holloway said. “So he invited me to a nice dinner. That was really nice of him.”

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It didn’t matter that Holloway, who wore number 4 at the University of Wisconsin, only wore number 36 for about 15 minutes.

“That was the number they gave me at camp, I had no emotional attachment to it,” he laughed. “When he took it, I really didn’t care, but he insisted on taking me out to dinner for it.

“We started out with a seafood tower, a few more appetizers, and then a big steak that we shared. He treated me really nice.”

Head coach Jay Woodcroft firmly believes in the importance of being a close-knit team, so from that perspective Campbell is the perfect man for the position.

“I see someone excited to get on the rink, excited to be with their teammates,” Woodcroft said. “Even back in his teens if you were to ask anyone about him they would tell you what a great person Jack Campbell is.

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“When he came to a new city, he was very open to getting to know his teammates outside of the rink. And what I liked about him is his seriousness off the rink.

“The best form of team bonding is when you win together and he does the work required to be at his best.”

IT BEGINS

The Oilers open preseason Sunday with the first of eight exhibition games.

Skinner will start in goal against the Winnipeg Jets (4:00 p.m. Rogers Place). No one will form the team based on one game, but Woodcroft says now is the time for players to start making a name for themselves.

“People try to get a full workload in their two-and-a-half weeks,” he said. “With this we challenged our boys to make sure every day counts. But you also understand that having a tough day or making a tough play in an exhibition match or scrimmage is not the end for you.

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“You have to be able to recover from that. It’s about the work you’ve done in this training camp.”

The message is that he doesn’t want anyone playing on eggshells because it’s not good for the player or the team.

“I want our players to play with a structure in mind but not get paralyzed by worrying about making the perfect game. I’d rather they play hard and play fast. We understand that mistakes are made and we won’t be perfect in the first Exhibition game. I want people to show why they are in this position.”

Marquee SCRIMMAGE

In terms of scrimmages between the teams, it was quite a convincing match on Saturday morning at Rogers Place – Connor McDavid vs. Leon Draisaitl.

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Nothing serious, of course, but a head-to-head between two of the best players in the world was a rare treat.

In the end, it was the captain’s team that gained the upper hand, with linemates Evander Kane and Kailer Yamamoto scoring goals and McDavid setting up defender Brett Kulak for a one-off 4-3 win for the Blues.

Zach Hyman was among those who answered for White, who also scored a goal from Holloway on a penalty.

HE SAID IT

“I want to make it difficult for these young players. It’s pro hockey. You have to come in and take people’s jobs. It’s the earnings business. I don’t put players on the team because I think they will be good in three years. You have to pitch in and do something to ensure that we start on October 12th. If you don’t, the trainer will make a change. — CEO Ken Holland

HE SAID IT II

“You can’t achieve anything if you don’t make the playoffs. Everyone’s talking about April and being a contender, but you gotta get to the dance first. We need to have a solid regular season and position ourselves well.” – Evander Kane.

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