The sad news today that acting legend Sir Patrick Stewart passed away at the age of 86 doesn't seem particularly hockey connected, or even hockey adjacent. But over the years, there have been plenty of connections between the City of Champions' National Hockey League franchise, and the one of the greatest actors of the past century.
Some are tenuous and others indisputable, but perhaps the strongest thread is the way that both the Edmonton Oilers and Stewart are widely beloved. As a child of the 80s and 90s, there was a good chance that one of either Oilers hockey or Star Trek: The Next Generation would be playing on tv during supper.
The Professor
While perhaps it's the second most notable role in his illustrious career, Stewart seemed born to play the role of Professor Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, in the series of Marvel X-men movies that stretched from the year 2000 to, if rumor has it right, later this year in Avengers: Doomsday. The Professor was known to be intelligent, thoughtful, caring, and kind, and he saved his pupils more than once over the years.
A former Oilers netminder, Ben Scrivens, was also known as The Professor by his teammates. Regularly making saves of his own, he seemed superhuman some nights, like the time he managed a 59 save shutout against a San Jose Sharks team that, on paper, seemed far superior to the Oilers of that age.
What's in a name?
The Oilers haven't ever had a Patrick Stewart on the roster, but they've had plenty of Patricks over the years. Some of the more notable one's would be:
- Patrick Maroon - multi-time winner of the Stanley Cup
- Patrick Russell - Depth forward from the late twenty teens
- Patrick O'Sullivan - Remember him? O'Sullivan had some offense
- Patrick Thoresen - Suited up for more than a hundred games in orange & blue
Stewart's have been a bit more rare over the years, but we've had:
- Greg Stewart - free agent in the minors back in 2010
- Stuart Skinner - if you listen closely Rogers Place still sometimes echoes with "Stuuuuuu"
- Mark Stuart - assistant coach
And of course, as seen in this article's main picture, Calvin "Captain" Pickard. The Oilers' Stanley Cup run 2024-25 might have been a lot shorter without the seven wins Pickard provided.
The Bard
Stewart was a theatre actor long before he hit television screens across the world. His love of Shakespeare was well known, and he played a broad selection of characters from The Bard's many plays, including Prospero from The Tempest, Shylock from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and playing both Halmet's murderous uncle, King Claudius, and the ghost of Hamlet's father, the man he'd killed.
The Oilers fanbase certainly knows comedy and tragedy. Some quotes that come to mind for the team this season:
On their many injuries:
“The fewer men, the greater share of honour.”
Henry V, Act IV, scene 3
On the drive for a Stanley Cup in the Connor McDavid era:
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!"
(Henry V)
And to end this article, with well wishes for Patrick Stewart's family during a difficult time, a fitting quote for the man, his life, and his legacy:
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
(Twelfth Night)
RIP Captain.
Add us as a preferred source on Google