SportsHockeyOilers

Ex-Oilers defenceman Brett Kulak emotional in return to Edmonton

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Jan 23 2026, 8:34 pm
Ex-Oilers defenceman Brett Kulak emotional in return to Edmonton
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images

It didn’t take long for Edmonton Oilers fans to see Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak return to Rogers Place.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were in town on Thursday night and laid a 6-2 beating down on the Oilers. Though Skinner served as the backup, Kulak had a strong showing, registering an assist while receiving 21:15 of ice time.

The Penguins came out flying to begin the game and held a commanding 3-0 lead after the first period. Despite the excellent start, however, Kulak was clearly quite emotional about the return when speaking to Sportsnet’s Gene Principe during the opening intermission, especially when asked about the tribute he and Skinner received.

“We really appreciate that. It was nice,” Kulak said. “Awesome organization, tons of memories. It was pretty cool that the media team captured a lot of those [videos] along the way.

“It was pretty emotional. I definitely miss this place… To get the special video tribute they made, to go out of their way and do that, that says a lot about the team and the organization.”

The fresh start seems to be boding well for both, who have quickly settled in with their new organization.

SkinnerĀ has won six of his last seven outings and is quickly turning into the number-one option for the Penguins.Ā As for Kulak, he’s been a strong option on their second pairing, averaging 20:19 of ice time through 19 games. It’s a significant uptick from the 17:42 he averaged through the first 31 games of the season with the Oilers.

Up until last night, the trade had been working out well for both sides. Jarry went into last night’s outing with a .904 SV% with the Oilers, but saw that drop all the way down to .881 after giving up six goals on just 26 shots.

Jarry and the Oilers will look to right the ship on Saturday night versus Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

ADVERTISEMENT