The Edmonton Oilers received some excellent news on Tuesday, courtesy of Bob Stauffer. The host of Oilers Now on 630 CHED reported that promising prospect Noah Philp is set to resume his professional hockey career next season.
During an interview with The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman in June 2023 (subscription required), Oilers general manager Ken Holland confirmed that Philp had decided to retire from hockey. The youngster himself would subsequently confirmed that he wanted to focus on his life outside the game, reportedly turned down a two-year contract extension from the Oilers.
This was a surprise for a lot of people at the time, with the Canmore, Alberta native having played well in Bakersfield after signing a one-year contract for the 2022-23 campaign. In his one season with the Condors, he finished fourth on the team with 37 points and was top 10 in the AHL for even strength goals by a rookie.
There are plenty who will be excited by the prospect of Philp returning to the Oilers organisation, presumably rejoining the Condors to begin with. He's a physical presence at 6 foot 3 and 200 pounds, with the potential to become a regular bottom six contributor in the NHL.
The fact the Oilers even got to sign the 25-year-old the first time around, came with a certain element of luck. (Albeit something that we appreciate often needs to happen within the world of professional sports.) Selected 64th overall by the Rangers in the 2021 draft, they were unable to agree terms with him and gave up his rights in return for a fifth round pick from the Oilers.
Philp previously spent three seasons at the University of Alberta. During his time there he produced 38 points in 36 regular season games, with another 16 points in 10 playoff appearances.
The centre also played four seasons in the WHL, including two with the Kootenay Ice and a couple with the Seattle Thunderbirds. His tenure in Seattle was particularly impressive, as he totalled 125 points in 127 regular season games.
Overall, it will be interesting how Philp's time away from the game impacts his performances, although you assume he must be in a better place overall now given his decision to return to playing hockey. Whether he pans out and eventually makes it in the NHL of course remains to be seen, but he will have the full support of everyone connected with the Oilers organisation.