Oilers legend Paul Coffey sustains an injury at practice and punishes a player in response
Edmonton Oilers legendary defenseman and now assistant coach Paul Coffey was injured during practice on Wednesday where he was struck in the face by a puck.
It was a harmless shot by Oilers forward Connor brown which deflected and hit Coffey on his chin. He left the ice to be attended to And the Oilers coaching staff gave brown his punishment which was a hot lap.
Coffey no stranger to errant pucks on the ice during his career
Coffey who was a legend for the Oilers and the NHL had many degrees of toughness as he had 1800 penalty minutes during his career.
He was drafted by the Oilers in 1980, first round 6th overall and had a fantastic career which spanned from 1980 till 2001. He had won Stanley cups with the Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins and played 1409 games, scoring 396 goals with 1135 assists for 1531 points and was a + 298.
He also won the Norris trophy three times for best defenseman and won three Hart trophies. After all those accolades and all those years playing in the NHL, what stands out about coffee is that he holds his love for the Edmonton Oilers and has worked in numerous roles which now includes assistant coach.
Coffey's influence on defensemen is profound
Since his return to the Oilers organization in 2023, Coffey's influence on the Oilers defence has been profound.
The Oilers have shown major improvements in defensive play and pushing the puck into the offensive zone which has benefited the Oilers and took them to the Stanley Cup finals last year.
This season saw another slow start, but the Oilers turned around quickly and are now sitting at the top of the Pacific Division.
After a dramatic turn around, the Oilers skyrocketed in the standings and are now 4th overall in the NHL, many attributing to Coffey's leadership and experience as a player.
The Oilers are preparing to take on the Detroit Red Wings as their former head coach Todd McLellan comes back to Edmonton. The game will be held on January 30th at 9:00 PM eastern.
Source: The Hockey News
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