Derek Ryan shares heartfelt goodbye note to Edmonton Oilers fans
Veteran NHL forward Derek Ryan has officially said goodbye to Edmonton Oilers fans after spending the last four seasons with the organization.
The 38-year-old’s contract with the Oilers expired this summer, and he has yet to sign on with a new NHL club. If there was any hope that he would be a late signing for the Oilers, Ryan laid that idea to rest on Monday afternoon.
The Washington native penned a heartfelt goodbye note to Oilers fans on Instagram, signalling that his time in the Alberta capital has come to an end.
“Edmonton, thank you for the best 4 years,” Ryan wrote. “My family and I will always cherish the city, the memories that we made there, and most importantly, the relationships that we formed.
“We might be leaving, but those relationships will last forever.”
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While this is the end of the road for Ryan in Edmonton, he has not yet officially announced his retirement. Though at the age of 38 and without a contract for next season right now, it could be a sign that he is at least considering hanging up the skates.
If it is the end of the line, it would mark the conclusion of an incredible career for the veteran and one that didn’t seem all that possible at one point. Ryan’s path to the NHL was anything but ordinary, having played in Austria and Sweden before signing with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 and making his debut at the age of 29.
Ryan first came to the Oilers in the summer of 2021, signing a two-year deal with Edmonton in free agency after prior stints with the Hurricanes and Calgary Flames. Despite being born in Washington state, it was a bit of a homecoming for the veteran as he spent four seasons playing with the University of Alberta between 2007 and 2011.
He quickly became a fixture in the team’s bottom-six and was able to put together two straight 20-plus point seasons with 10 and 13 goals, respectively. However, things started to fall off in his third season, when he only managed 12 points in 70 games.
Ryan’s time with the Oilers was clearly coming to an end last year, as he split time between the NHL and AHL, appearing in only 36 games and none in the playoffs despite Edmonton advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
He leaves the Oilers organization as a favourite both in and out of the locker room. Ryan was very well-liked by his teammates and had garnered more than a few admirers among the Oilers faithful for his rugged work ethic and consistent hunger to stay in the lineup.
While he still may have some hockey left in him, it’s a bit sad to see his time in Edmonton come to an end without his name being engraved on the Stanley Cup.