In a surprising announcement on Friday, former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram officially retired from the National Hockey League.
Via Instagram, Connor Ingram, who played 134 NHL games for Nashville, Arizona, Utah and Edmonton, announces his retirement.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 11, 2026
He adds his goal is to go back to school for psychology; use what he learns to help othershttps://t.co/2TPoJmBtmF
Ingram, was originally drafted in the third round, 88th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2016 NHL Draft. He played for three different franchises and four teams total; The Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, Utah Mammoth, and the Oilers.
The 29 year old played 134 games played across five seasons with a 55-54-18 record, tallying nine shutouts with a 3.01 goals against average and .901% save percentage. Last season with the Oilers, he took over the reigns as the team's starting netminder playing 30 games with a 16-10-3 record and a 2.60 GAA and .899 save percentage.
He also added nine playoff games to his resume, with a 2-6 record and a 3.76 GAA and .895 save percentage. This includes the five playoff games he played with the Oilers last season.
Ingram retires early
The announcement comes after a summer where Ingram surprisingly did not re-sign with the Oilers to rejoin the crease. Despite him having been the Oilers de facto starting goalie last season, he seemingly did not garner enough interest for Edmonton or another NHL club to entice him to sign.
Instead, as reported by Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, he will be returning to school to study psychology to help others with their mental health, a cause that is undoubtedly very close to his heart, given his history.
Ingram won the 2024 Bill Masterton Award, which is given to "the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association." This win came after he was nearly forced to retire in 2021 as a member of the Nashville Predators. He was battling obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, receiving help from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Ingram received care once again from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2024-25 season. He later revealed that he took a leave of absence, missing time following the death of his mother. This makes his aspiration for psychology even more significant and heartwarming, knowing the effect that mental health has had on his playing career and life.
He was also the Oilers 2026 Masterton nominee, following his return to the sport and rise back to the NHL following his tough journey battling his mental health.
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