BREAKING: New Edmonton Oilers Goaltender Spotted at Practice

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Ryan Hall
November 9, 2023 (9:00)

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For any hockey player, regardless of age or skill level, it's always a dream come true when you receive the call that you have been summoned to an NHL organization to help them. This call arrived for a University of British Columbia student who was asked to assist the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers are in the midst of a transition in their goaltending department, as the team decided to demote beleaguered goaltender Jack Campbell to the Bakersfield Condors. Campbell cleared waivers, and Calvin Pickard had yet to arrive with the team, meaning the team was short a goaltender for practice.

That call was made to Dorrin Luding. As he entered his first NHL media scrum, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He explained how all of this materialized.

«I got a text message last night from Miles with the Vancouver Canucks,» explained Luding. «He kind of said that the Oilers were looking for a practice goalie and was wondering if I wanted to do it. Thought I might as well; I didn't have anything much else to do, so I thought I'd skip a few classes to attend this.»

Having missed a few classes, Luding felt that it was okay to play hooky with the school.

He was ecstatic to realize that he would be facing shots from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and many other NHL stars.

«It was just so cool. The whole environment and the guys introducing themselves and everything and just being so nice�I think that was the coolest part,» said Luding. «Completely different from what I'm used to, so it was a real learning curve for me.»

The next game for the Oilers will be on the road as they meet the lowly San Jose Sharks on November 9th. Game time will be at 10:30 PM Eastern.