Leon Draisaitl's Historic Game Interrupted by Medical Emergency at Oilers-Flames

Saturday’s Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames took a frightening turn early in the first period.

According to reports, a fan behind the Oilers bench suffered a medical emergency, halting the game for nearly 10 minutes.

The emergency occurred just minutes into the contest, as Sportsnet’s Louie DeBrusk reported a fan had collapsed on the stairs behind Edmonton’s bench, requiring immediate medical attention.

With league rules mandating an ambulance presence during games, officials paused play until a replacement arrived.

The unexpected delay momentarily overshadowed the highly anticipated return of Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl.

Draisaitl rejoined the lineup following an injury that left him sidelined for over a week.

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl celebrates after scoring his 50th goal of the season. Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Yet, when the game resumed, Draisaitl quickly reclaimed center stage.

With the Oilers trailing 2–1 late in the third period, Draisaitl fired home his milestone 50th goal, forcing overtime.

“Yeah, absolutely, it’s very special,” Draisaitl said before making history on Saturday. “I grew up certainly not a goal scorer, I’ve always been a passer and worked a lot at that part of my game, and for that to shine through still obviously means a lot to me.”

Minutes later, he sniped his 51st from the slot, delivering a dramatic 3–2 victory and becoming just the second active NHL player — alongside Alex Ovechkin — to achieve at least four 50-goal seasons.

Draisaitl also matched Oilers legend Jari Kurri for the second-most 50-goal campaigns in franchise history, behind only Wayne Gretzky’s eight.

“His season has been remarkable,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. “Leon Draisaitl has always been one of the best players in the League.

“It’s been known, it’s not a secret, it’s not a breakout season this year. For him to be able to score at the rate that he has under so many different circumstances is impressive.”

Saturday’s performance reinforced Draisaitl’s lead in the Rocket Richard Trophy race, putting him nine goals clear of second-place William Nylander with 42 to the Oilers star’s 51.

With the win, the Oilers moved up to a 42-26-5 record and matched the Los Angeles Kings’ 89-point tally this season, the former having one more game played through Saturday’s slate.

Leon Draisaitl’s Historic Game Interrupted by Medical Emergency at Oilers-Flames

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