Edmonton Oilers fan fave Sam Gagner retires and joins another NHL team's front office
Edmonton Oilers fan favourite Sam Gagner has officially retired, but will continue to be a part of the NHL community.
The 35-year-old, who suited up for 19 games in the AHL with the Belleville Senators this season, has been hired by the Ottawa Senators as their director of player development.
“Sam had an incredible career as a player and we look forward to launching his next chapter,” GM Steve Staios said in a press release. “A true character individual, Sam has contributed to the success of his organizations, both on and off the ice.”
Gagner had remained patient last offseason in hopes of landing an NHL deal, but after failing to do so joined the Senators AHL club on a PTO in late January.
Gagner is beloved by Oilers fans, having played 570 of his 1,043 NHL games for the organization. The Oilers selected him sixth overall in the 2007 draft, and he remained with them until being traded ahead of the 2014-15 season.
After bouncing around with several other teams, Gagner wound up returning to the Oilers for parts of two seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20, before returning a third and final time as a free agent ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Gagner’s most memorable moment as an Oiler came during the 2011-12 season, where he registered eight points in an 8-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Rexall Place. By doing so, he tied an Oilers record as the only player to hit eight points in a game, joining Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey.
Over the course of his 1,043 game career — which also featured stints with the Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and Winipeg Jets — Gagner scored 197 goals and 529 points.