"A great journey": Oilers' Desharnais reflects on unique path to the NHL
On January 11, 2023, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Vincent Desharnais skated onto the ice at Anaheim’s Honda Center as an NHL player for the very first time.
Making his debut at the age of 26, Desharnais’ path to the big leagues is not your typical one. A seventh-round draft pick of the Oilers back in 2016, Desharnais spent several seasons playing in the NCAA with Providence College before turning pro at the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
Being a late-round draft choice, the cards were stacked against the Laval, Quebec native. He didn’t possess the glitz and glamour of a first-rounder and wasn’t known for his offensive abilities. What made him stand out was his presence on the ice, standing at a hulking 6-foot-7 and carving out a tough-as-nails game that wore down opponents.
Desharnais spent his first few years of professional hockey bouncing between the ECHL and AHL until he finally found a consistent spot with the Bakersfield Condors in 2021-22. Heading into the 2022-23 season, the clock was ticking. It had been six years since he was drafted, and he was already 26. He put in the work needed and, as the Oilers ran into defensive problems that season, Desharnais positioned himself as the first call-up.
He has been in the NHL ever since.
“It’s been a great journey,” Desharnais told Daily Hive in an exclusive interview after Oilers practice on Thursday. “Being part of this team, it’s such a great team, a great franchise, and playing with the best players in the world.
“I try to enjoy every day and be positive every day.”
There was no time for adjustment for Desharnais. He joined an Oilers team that was in the thick of a playoff chase. Just three months after playing his first NHL game, Desharnais was given his first taste of playoff hockey, facing off against both the LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.
Even though it was a dream come true, he admits that there were a few tough moments of adjustment that he had to work through.
“There were some tougher times, ups and downs, but I mean playoffs more than the season you just gotta kind of forget what happened the night before,” he explained. “There were definitely some learning experiences last year, whether it was penalties, refs, or mistakes, but as the playoffs went on I felt more and more comfortable.
“I think playoff hockey is my style of hockey, where it’s a little bit grittier, a little bit more physical, a little bit meaner. I definitely like it, I can’t wait to get back to it having 12 or 13 more games of experience.”
This season represents his first full season as an NHL defenceman. His role on the team has, for the most part, been on the Oilers’ third pairing alongside veteran Brett Kulak. The two have formed quite a bond with each other in a short time.
“[Kulak] has quite a bit of experience in this league, and he’s been helping me out quite a bit,” said Desharnais. “We’re just building together every shift, every morning we show up and we just tell [each other] ‘Let’s get better today, brother.'”
EDIT: THIS IS VINCENT DESHARNAIS' FIRST @NHL GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/uBfv8J4q6z
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 30, 2023
Desharnais worked very hard to get to where he is today, but he had a lot of help. When the Oilers were in Montreal earlier this season, 45 people came to watch him play, from coaches and mentors, to family and friends. Fans also got a glimpse at his relationship with his brother, Alex Desharnais, on the Oilers mentors trip.
“Sometimes you don’t always see what it takes to get here,” Desharnais said. “When it takes a little bit more time, sometimes there are more lows than there are ups… through all those downs, you need that support system, that support group to kind of push you.
“When I complain too much, my brother is not too shy to bring me back to reality, so I’m very grateful for them.”
"It’s pretty special to share my dream with him."
Vincent Desharnais speaks about his brother Alex as the #Oilers siblings & friends join them for the road trip to Calgary. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/sfch9ZgvLH
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 19, 2024
Perhaps the biggest moment of his NHL career, outside of his first career goal at the Heritage Classic of all places, was on a diving play that broke up a tic-tac-toe play against the Nashville Predators last month. The crowd gave him quite an ovation for his effort.
“That was pretty cool,” laughed Desharnais. “I never thought I would get a standing ovation for that, but it just shows the appreciation of our fans, and I believe we have the best fans in the whole league, and they appreciate the small details.”
Oilers fans know a hardworking player when they see one. The blue-collar fanbase has clung to certain role players over the years solely because of their willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team.
Desharnais looks like he is cut from that same cloth. He has defied the odds and worked toward his dream far past the point many others would have given up. As he embarks on his young NHL career, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Oilers fanbase holds him in similar regard when all is said and done.
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