Ex-Oilers enforcer Kassian returns to Edmonton to cheer on former team
A former Edmonton Oilers fan favourite is back in the city to cheer on his former team in Game 3 of their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks.
Zack Kassian, who spent seven seasons with the Oilers between 2015 and 2022, has been announced as the special guest in Ice District tonight and will be meeting fans and signing autographs at the Tailgate Party.
😮 ALUMNI UPDATE!! 😮@EdmontonOilers alum Zack Kassian will be signing autographs tomorrow at the @FordCanada Tailgate Party from 6 PM – 7 PM!! pic.twitter.com/NXxKqdccIV
— ICE District (@IceDistrict) May 11, 2024
Kassian appeared in 412 games with the Oilers and put up 55 goals and 135 points in that span. His most iconic moment playing in Alberta’s capital came in the 2017 playoffs when he laid two huge hits on San Jose Sharks players Logan Couture and Brendan Dillon alongside scoring a goal in Game 2 of that series.
Kassian was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2022 in a cap dump by the Oilers. The beloved enforcer played with the Coyotes for just a single season before becoming a free agent. Kassian signed on to a PTO with the Anaheim Ducks at the beginning of this season but was eventually released.
He then had a brief stint in Europe before calling it a career. Kassian played in 661 NHL games and picked up 203 points.
Though things did not end quite the way that Kassian and the Oilers might have wanted with the team, it is clear that there is a lot of love between the enforcer and the fanbase. When Kassian was traded to the Oilers from the Montreal Canadiens in 2015, the tough guy was going through a bit of a rough stretch with reported substance abuse problems.
His arrival in Edmonton helped him kick those demons and revitalize his career. His perseverance and physical style of play endeared him to the fanbase, and he quickly became a fan favourite throughout his time with the Oilers.
Fans will be lining up to welcome Kassian back to the Alberta capital, and there is a good chance he will receive a rousing ovation from the crowd if he appears on the jumbotron during the game.
It’s a fitting game for Kassian to be at as he is also a former member of the Canucks, having played in 171 games with Vancouver before he made his way to the Oilers.
Kassian will sign autographs in the Ice District Plaza from 6 pm to 7 pm MT tonight.