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Enforcer played well on fourth line in opener
Cedar Park, Texas, is a mighty long way from the spotlight Luke Gazdic finds himself in after his NHL debut Tuesday.
Plucked off the waiver wire by the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, he not only scored on his first shift in the season-opener against the Winnipeg Jets, but also fought Chris Thorburn, further endearing himself to the home crowd.
“Once the lights came on after the anthem, I was shaking so much I didn’t even know what was going on. Getting that goal definitely calmed me down,” he said when greeted by a crowd bearing microphones and notebooks after Thursday’s practice.
Gazdic, 24, spent the last four seasons with the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League, playing the physical game that got him a look in Edmonton. He had been waived by the Dallas Stars after an impressive pre-season game against the Oilers in Oklahoma City.
The Stars have Lane MacDermid playing the tough winger role; the Oilers just lost enforcer Steve MacIntyre to a knee injury.
“It’s been a roller-coaster, that’s for sure,” Gazdic said. “I went from getting sent to the minors, thinking I was going to be there for a bit, then I get a call from (Oilers general manager) Craig MacTavish and I’m on a plane. It’s been whirlwind of emotions.”
Gazdic will play again with Will Acton and Mike Brown when the Oilers take on the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday. Their line was still earning praise from head coach Dallas Eakins on Thursday, so much that they were featured in several forechecking clips during the morning video session.
“I thought (Gazdic) played solid. He finished checks, he never got us in any trouble, he protected the pucks down low,” said Eakins. “It was a good start for him.”
The winger’s mom flew in from Toronto for the game and his brother rolled in from Calgary, both of whom filled him in on the reaction in the building. He was oblivious to most of it, but over the last couple of days has got a sense of what it’s like to play in a hockey town.
“I’ve had some people come up to me, which is surreal. I’ve been playing in the heart of Texas for four years, where hockey is big, but nothing like it is here,” Gazdic said. “During the game, even when I scored, I didn’t realize how loud that building can get. (My mom and brother) said the roof went up when I scrapped … I guess they set the fire alarm off. But I really wasn’t paying too much attention to it.”
Nugent-Hopkins nearing a return?
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was anything but a spectator on Thursday when the intensity got ramped up at practice.
In fact, the young centre recovering from shoulder surgery was so active that he could be back in the lineup before Nov. 1, perhaps as early as next week.
“We’ve been trying to bring him along slowly, but he’s been active in some drills. Maybe not as active,” said Eakins. “The other thing that happens in practice, too, is that because he’s been a part of our group every day, the other players forget. They don’t think, ‘Hey, maybe not so hard on him’. But the guys were competing pretty hard and he was right in the middle of it today.”
Eager heads to Oklahoma City
Ben Eager cleared waivers on Thursday and will be on the Oklahoma City Barons’ 27-man opening-day roster. Curtis Hamilton, who was injured through the Oilers’ training camp, is also on his way down to the American Hockey League team.
Eakins said the Eager move was as much about clearing up salary-cap room as it was about Gazdic doing enough to earn the lineup spot.
“As an organization, and I really believe in this too … there’s no use having guys sitting in the stands,” said Eakins. “Right now, we’re going to stick with the lineup we played with and Ben will go down and stay ready.”