New Oilers player had plane catch on fire on way to Edmonton
Quinn Hutson is set to make his NHL debut for the Edmonton Oilers tonight, but he is still calming his nerves from a terrifying flight to the Alberta capital.
The 23-year-old standout NCAA player out of Boston University flew out of St. Louis this weekend with plans to land in Edmonton for Monday night’s game against the LA Kings. While he made it on time, he had to endure a nightmare of a flight that ended up in flames and was forced to undergo an emergency landing in Denver.
Hustson detailed the horrifying flight in detail with reporters shortly after his first skate as a member of the Oilers.
“Taking off, the engine caught on fire, so [we had to do an] emergency landing,” Hutson said. “A little scared for a second, but still made it.
“I usually make jokes about [being a nervous flyer], but that’ll get you. I’ll stop making jokes about it now.”
"It's a great spot, a great opportunity. I think there's a lot of opportunities to develop here. It's an unbelievable setup & I'm just excited to get started."
Quinn Hutson on his decision to sign with the #Oilers as an undrafted free agent.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/fAl2p27Gbm
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 14, 2025
Hutson was flying out of Denver after narrowly losing out on the NCAA championship with his Boston University squad falling to Western Michigan. The cause of the plane’s engine catching on fire was reportedly due to a wildlife strike of some kind.
He was able to finally land in the Alberta capital in the early hours of Monday morning.
While the experience shook Hutson, he seemed no worse for wear at the rink. He will now go from that harrowing flight to making his NHL debut, which is sure to take a toll on his nerves as well.
“A lot of nerves even going on for the skate,” Hutson said with a laugh. “Pretty nervous, it’s part of the game.”
He will be the second member of the Hutson family to make his NHL debut this season, alongside younger brother Lane Hutson, who is having a breakout rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens. His other younger brother, Cole, is a member of the Washington Capitals organization.
An Illinois native, Hutson said he has already consulted Lane about playing in a Canadian market.
“He’s got one of the hardest markets to play in, so he’s got a lot of experience,” Hutson said. “He said, don’t worry about it, just play my game.”
The Oilers made Hutson’s signing official just before he headed to Rogers Place this morning. He was signed to a two-year entry-level contract but will burn a year of that off by making his NHL debut this season rather than the next. He will be ineligible to play in the postseason for Edmonton this year.