The feel-good story of the season for the Edmonton Oilers so far has been the emergence of Noah Philp, an undrafted 26 year old rookie who may become a candidate for an NHL award this year.
Philp has shown incredible perseverance and work ethic to make to the NHL this late in his career, but it's even more impressive considering his retirement last season. Philp stepped away from hockey entirely for the 2023-24 season for personal reasons.
Philp hasn't gone into much detail explaining why he stepped away, only citing a gut feeling that it was the right thing for him at the time. Seeing him come back this season clearly on a mission to make the NHL roster and have the best year of his career has been incredibly inspiring, and well deserved for the Alberta boy.
Recently in the Edmonton Journal, Kurt Leavins suggested that Philp could win the Bill Masterton Trophy this season if he stays on the NHL roster.
"Off the ice, Philp's inspiring story has even caught the attention of casual fans. It has been just one game, so we will need to wait and see how this plays out. But maybe Noah will become an early consideration for the Bill Masterton Trophy."
- Kurt Leavins, Edmonton Journal
The Masterton Trophy is awarded to the NHL player who best displays perseverance and dedication to the game, and Philp's story is exactly that. The Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, with three finalists to be named later in the year. If Philp continues to play in the NHL this year, he may have a shot at winning it.
For now, Oilers fans are just enjoying Philp's play as the fourth line center - something that should probably continue when McDavid returns from injury. Philp had a standout training camp and deserved to make the team, but after some ice time in the AHL to begin the year, his game looks even more polished now. Philp plays a reliable two-way game with speed, and that's exactly what the Oilers need out of their fourth line center.
