The Edmonton Oilers could have a new player in the lineup for their Stanley Cup rematch against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.
Connor Clattenburg has been called up from the AHL, the Oilers announced on Friday. The move was made in conjunction with Noah Philp being placed on long-term injured reserve.
The Oilers drafted Clattenburg in the fifth round of the 2024 draft and the 20-year-old prospect hasn’t been shy in his first full season of pro hockey.
Clattenburg already has 59 penalty minutes in 15 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors, including five fighting majors. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward dropped the gloves twice in a recent game just last week.
“That’s what’s going to get me to the next level,” Clattenburg said after he got ejected last Saturday for getting into two fights in one game. “If they want to toss me for doing that stuff, then go ahead. I’m going to keep playing that way. Nothing’s going to stop me.”
The timing of Clattenburg’s call up is interesting, given recent revelations.
The Oilers were reportedly not happy with how the Panthers acted following their second straight Stanley Cup win, as they rubbed it in Edmonton’s face on multiple occasions.
If Clattenburg does play Saturday in South Florida, it’ll mark his NHL debut. The Ottawa native completed four seasons of junior hockey in the OHL, notching 35 points and 108 penalty minutes with the Flint Firebirds last season.
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