Former Edmonton Oilers first-round pick dead at 58
The Edmonton Oilers lost a member of their alumni on Friday.
Scott Metcalfe, who was taken by the Oilers with their first-round selection in 1985, a little two weeks after their second straight Stanley Cup victory, passed away at the age of 58.
The NHL Alumni Association is deeply saddened to learn Scott Metcalfe has passed away at the age of 58.
After two productive seasons with the OHL’s Kingston Canadiens, Scott was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. With an additional… pic.twitter.com/r4eDcDVCF8
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) June 6, 2025
A cause has not been reported at this time.
Metcalfe didn’t exactly have the impact in Edmonton he would’ve wanted, playing just two games for the franchise in 1988. He was called up to the team in January 1988 while the team was dealing with some noticeable absences — including Wayne Gretzky nursing a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for 18 games — but was eventually shipped back to the AHL’s now-defunct Nova Scotia Oilers.
Later that season, Metcalfe was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres. He played 19 career NHL games, spending most of his career in the AHL, while also spending parts of four seasons in Germany and one in Great Britain.
Metcalfe was living in Rochester, New York, at the time of his death. He had played the majority of his professional career in the city, spending parts of nine seasons with the Americans AHL franchise as Buffalo’s affiliate and eventually being inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
“It’s a terribly sad day for the organization,” said former AHL teammate Jody Gage in an Americans release. “Scott had this larger-than-life personality… It’s easy to see why he was such a fan favourite. He was the ultimate competitor and a consummate professional who always put his teammates and the organization first.”
“Not sure what I will remember most about Metter; his jokester or serious side, his rugged hockey player side, or extremely intelligent, book-reading side, his fun-loving, friendly side, or his quiet, private side,” former teammate Don Stevens added. “Metter was extremely loyal to the team, his teammates and his family.”