Oilers' Ty Emberson opens up about rough start, family experience in Edmonton
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ty Emberson has quietly been one of the team’s steadiest players this season.
After a rocky start to his Oilers tenure, the 24-year-old Wisconsin native has carved out a role on the team’s third pairing. He may not have a goal this season, but his defensive play has settled in, and while he was fighting for a regular spot early on in the year, he has now become a mainstay.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Hive, Emberson opened up about his rough start to the season and how he was able to adjust to being on a new team after spending his rookie year with the San Jose Sharks.
“It’s been good. It was a slow start, just getting adjusted,” Emberson said. “In the last month or two, it’s been good. I’ve been finding my confidence, finding my game and finding what I can do to contribute here.”
The last year must have felt like a whirlwind for Emberson. After having played with the bottom-feeder Sharks, he was traded to the Alberta capital over the summer in a deal that saw veteran defenceman Cody Ceci go the other way.
Learning the systems of a new team is one thing, but going from one of the worst teams in the NHL to one of the best in a hockey hotbed, no less, is another major adjustment.
“It’s great to have a fanbase who is super passionate like the Oilers fans are,” Emberson said. “It’s unbelievable to play in front of them every night, and that comes with the added pressure of being a cup contender.
“I think it’s an exciting opportunity for me and my wife and we’ve really enjoyed our time here.”
Emberson married his longtime girlfriend Carolyn last summer. The two met at the University of Wisconsin, where Emberson was playing hockey and Carolyn was on a soccer scholarship.
Luckily, the two have plenty of experience bearing through cold winters, so making the jump to Edmonton was not as drastic as it could be for others.
“I grew up in the midwest, so I’m used to the cold weather,” Emberson said with a smile. “It’s nice because it feels like hockey season. You go outside, and it’s nice and snowy, come to the rink, and you get to play hockey in front of a bunch of great fans.
“My wife and I got a dog and he’s not the biggest fan of the snow quite yet, we got him last year in California so he’s still figuring it all out.”
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for Emberson’s turnaround, outside of making the proper adjustments, has been his defence partner Brett Kulak. The 31-year-old veteran has been a rock on the Oilers blue line and has spent most of his time playing next to Emberson.
“It’s been unbelievable to play with [Kulak] so far,” Emberson said. “The way he carries himself in the rink, outside the rink, just on a day-to-day basis is something I can take a lot of things from.
“The way he takes care of his body and just makes sure that he’s ready to show up to the rink every day.”
Emberson’s uptick in play has also recently attracted the attention of Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, who test-driven him in a top-four role for parts of Monday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken.
Edmonton’s defensive game has quietly been among the very best in the NHL this season, and Emberson has been a sneaky reason for this. Next up will be continuing that play into the postseason.