CAMP: Gagner back where it all began on professional tryout

EDMONTON, AB – Sixteen Septembers ago, Sam Gagner attended his first Oilers Training Camp – just one month after his 18th birthday and two and a half months after he was selected sixth overall at the 2007 NHL Draft.

Flash forward to present day and Gagner is back in camp with the Oilers at 34 years old, a proud father of three kids and veteran of 1,015 NHL regular season games after hitting the career milestone last December as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.

He couldn't relish in the 1,000-game glory too long, though, as he was dealing with nagging hip pain and elected to have a pair of season-ending surgeries starting in mid-March. Driven to bounce back from the procedures and continue his accomplished career, Gagner signed a professional tryout (PTO) agreement with Edmonton in late August and is nearing the end of his road to recovery as the team opened Training Camp this week.

"I've had hip issues in the past, but then the last couple years it's really ramped up on me," Gagner explained. "Last year in Winnipeg as the year went on it got worse and I felt it was the right decision to get it taken care of. I still feel pretty young, to be honest, at 34, and I feel like I have years ahead of me. So I'm going to see how I feel coming out of this, continue to push forward and hopefully keep going."

The native of London, Ont. spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Oilers before one-year stops in Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus and Vancouver. In February 2019, the Canucks traded him back to Edmonton and he spent the next full calendar year on his second tour of duty with the Oil before getting dealt to Detroit at the 2020 deadline – just a few weeks before that season was halted due to the pandemic.

Gagner played two seasons with the Red Wings before signing with the Jets for the 2022-23 campaign, putting up eight goals and six assists in 48 games before opting for the hip surgeries. He's hopeful his third time's a charm back in Edmonton to keep his NHL dream going.

"I have a soft spot for Edmonton," he said. "I really like it here. My family's from here, my wife's family, and I stay in touch with Connor and Leon and Clouder and Bouch and those guys throughout the summer in Ontario. And I really trust the staff here. They're fantastic at what they do. And then coming off my hip surgeries, I just felt it was the right fit. I'm happy they felt the same way and I'm just going to try and get back up to health and then give it everything I have to try and be a part of this organization and help them move forward."

Gagner is currently in month five of his six-month rehabilitation, but he said he believes he's slightly ahead of schedule. Oilers GM and President of Hockey Operations Ken Holland said this week the veteran forward likely won't suit up for any preseason games, and Head Coach Jay Woodcroft added they don't plan to force his full recovery.

"Sam has played in the league a long time, going back to being a first-round draft pick, finding his way in the league, and then he's kind of gone through different phases in his career," Woodcroft said. "And over the last couple of years, he's found a way to make impacts by being a solid, veteran player. Someone you can rely on in the 200 feet of the rink.

"I think his experiences lend him to have a real good perspective and there's good leadership qualities in him. He's very bright. But the big thing is, with his injury, we're just taking it one day at a time. We're not rushing it. We have patience, and when he's ready to be put in competitive situations, we will."

From relying on crutches to get around for about two months post-surgery and swimming as his lone source of physical activity, to being back on the ice at an NHL camp just a few months later, Gagner presented plenty of gratitude on Thursday.

"The staff here has been incredible, and since I've been back, they've been really helpful," he said. "Even in the last two weeks that I've been here, I notice a tremendous difference, so I'm just going to keep pushing ahead and listening to the staff and see where it goes."

The next few weeks will determine what his recovering body is capable of, but Gagner is confident both his mind and heart are exactly where they need to be.

"I still love coming to the rink, still love working hard at it, trying to get better," he said. "I'm going to keep going as long as I have that."