The Edmonton Oilers’ biggest acquisition before the trade deadline was landing forward Adam Henrique from the Anaheim Ducks and as NHL_Sid mentioned, he’s been a very good player on an awful team for the past several seasons.
Henrique is pointless in the three games he’s played with the Oilers so far, but he’s shown his utility playing both center and on the wing. Early signs suggest he’s a reliable player and with six 20+ goal seasons under his belt, his point totals should pick up soon. In light of that, below are some interesting tidbits to get acquainted with the new Oiler.
Henrique’s Moustache Was Shaved off by a Fan at a Movember Charity Event
Henrique played eight seasons with the New Jersey Devils, and in 2015, he became active in the Movember campaign, which is a fundraiser for men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, where people are encouraged to grow moustaches to raise awareness and funding for research-related to men’s health. He became captain of the Devils’ Movember initiative and he stepped up in a big way — on Nov. 28, 2017, he held the first-ever “Rico’s Soiree”, an ode to his nickname, “Rico.”
The event served as a charity fundraiser for Movember, and in addition to providing fans with the opportunity to win prizes and engage in meet-and-greet sessions with Devils’ players, it also allowed attendees to bid on the unique chance to shave Henrique’s moustache. That honour went to a fortunate fan, who won with a winning bid of $5000.
While it was a great night for Henrique, he received some unfortunate news a couple of days later when he was informed that he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Still, he continued to raise money for the Movember movement after that and in total, he has raised over $60,000 for the cause
Henrique Was a Calder Trophy Finalist with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Henrique was drafted by the Devils in the third round in 2008 but didn’t become a full-time NHLer until the 2011-2012 campaign. He had a stellar first season and played in all situations, eventually earning a spot on the top line where he centered star players, Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. He finished with 51 points in 74 games, leading all rookies that season in shorthanded goals (four) and finished third in rookie scoring.
Over in Oil Country, there was another rookie sensation, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was having a tremendous season with the Oilers. He recorded a hat trick in only his third game and became the first 18-year-old in NHL history to tally five assists in a single game. He finished with 52 points, but an injury cut his season short. Nevertheless, his 0.84 points-per-game (PPG) was the highest among rookies.
As a result, both of the current Oilers were finalists for the Calder Trophy in 2012 – awarded to the player selected as most proficient in his first year of competition, voted on by members of the PHWA. However, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche was crowned the winner, as he led his team in goals (22), finishing with 52 points.
That said, if voters were able to include playoff performances in their decision-making, Henrique would’ve improved his odds. He tied a rookie record for most game-winning goals in a playoff season, scoring in Game 7 in double overtime in the opening round. He also netted the OT winner in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and scored the winner again in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. With that in mind, his previous track record of scoring in critical moments could be a huge advantage for the Oilers this upcoming postseason.
