On Friday (September 12) at Rogers Place, the host Edmonton Oilers were reported 6-5 by the Calgary Flames in an exhibition game with a set-up that consisted entirely of players who attended the respective Rookie camps of each team.
After he left 6-2, Edmonton exploded for three goals in the third period to close things. Matthew Savoie scored twice, while Connor Clattenburg, Quinn Hutson and Viljami Marjala each had a goal for the oils. Oilers Networker Samuel Jonnason previously gave four goals leave the game Because of 10 minutes of cramps and are replaced by Josh Banini, who allowed two goals.
Related: 3 Oilers to watch in Battle or Alberta Rookie Game
While Edmonton lost this Rookie edition of the Battle of Alberta, there was no shortage of players who wore orange and blue who made quite an impression. Here are three who stood out in particular:
Beautiful Akey
After the operation he kept him out of the matches during last year’s Rookie camp, Beau Akey finally got an oilers sweater on Friday and showed that he is back to 100%.
In addition to Damien Carfagna on the top defense combination of Edmonton, the 20-year-old Akey played smart, error-free hockey, which showed a lot of balance and sentence. One night when defensive game was not a strong suit for the oilers, Akey was without a doubt the best Blueliner in Edmonton.
This was Akey’s first time that it appeared in a game for the Rookies of the Oilers since his strong performance on the Classic Tournament 2023 Young Stars almost two years ago. Early in the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season with the Barrie Colts, Akey was seriously injured in a collision and required surgery on his both shoulders.
Akey could not play about 10 months, a huge setback in his development. But after he had adjusted in the regular season and play-offs with the Colts in 2024-25 in the regular season and play-offs, Akey returned to the form that made him up to 56one General draft choice in 2023. The performance of Friday validated that Akey is on the right track again as a future Nhler.
Connor Clattenburg
Who in Hockey in 2025 does not let the gloves fall once, but twice, in a Rookie exhibition game? Connor Clattenburg, that’s who.
If the goal of the 6-foot-4 attacker was to run heads, consider his mission accomplished. Clattenburg was the player that everyone was talking about when they left Rogers Place on Friday, after the 160one General choice in the 2024 Draft came in a few fights, covered three hits and noted Edmonton’s third goal of the night when he was fed by Matt Copponi and the Puck Beyond Flames Goalie Owen.
Copponi to Clattenburg 🫡 pic.twitter.com/0E74N1T1QP
– Edmonton Oilers (@edmontonoilers) September 13, 2025
Clattenburg influenced the game due to both physicality and offensive ability, and each of his leftovers came at times when the oilers needed a boost. If there were judges for something like that, he would probably have won the victory in both fights.
Clattenburg closed his junior career at the Flint Firebirds of the OHL last season and made his pro -debut, played a single game with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL). He starts 2025-26 in the AHL, but if Clattenburg is ever called to Edmonton, Oilers fans will immediately fall in love.
Matthew Savoie
Many expect that Savoie will be in the opening night setup of Edmonton when the oilers start their schedule of 2025-26 next month, and his two-goal performance against the Calgary Rookies should only strengthen that faith.
With just over 13 minutes in the third period, the 21-year-old center got a penalty shot after he had stolen a pass to jump on an escape and was addicted by flames to the front Andrew Basha. Savoie then flashed fast hands and went backhand to the hand before pushing the puck around the path of Say for his first goal.
Almost exactly 10 minutes later, Savoie started the lamp again. This time he took a pass from Marjala in the neutral zone, broke in, avoided a poke check of the Flames keeper and then defeated five-hole to draw Edmonton in two, at 6-4.
Savoie has already played a handful of games in the NHL in the past two seasons. The ninth general choice in the NHL design of 2022 belongs to the highest level, and that was clear on Friday, with Savoie looked like a man among boys in a competition full of prospects.
It would not fail to give a deadly mention to Marjala, who scored the first goal of the game, asked in the first period, and showed a nice touch that assisted on Savoie’s aforementioned second count. The 22-year-old Finnish attacker, who Oilers have registered with the Liiga of Finland As a free agent in June it is so far a largely unknown raw material in Edmonton, but on Friday he introduced himself to fans as a player who is not lacking for skills.
Akey, Clattenburg, Savoie, Marjala and the rest of the Oilers -smokies get another chance to show their things when these two squadrons on Sunday (September 14) on the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary are for a Rookie -Rematch.
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