Though it didn’t end the way he wanted, Mattias Ekholm seems to have really enjoyed his first full season with the Edmonton Oilers.
Ekholm was acquired by the Oilers at the 2023 trade deadline and has been featured on their top blue line pairing alongside Evan Bouchard since. The 34-year-old has been an excellent add thanks to some great play at both ends of the ice, and he played a big part in the Oilers reaching the Stanley Cup Final this past season.
Though the Oilers were unable to win it all, their fan base was still thrilled with the run and showed tremendous support throughout. That clearly meant a lot to Ekholm, who took to Instagram to thank them all yesterday afternoon.
“Edmonton. Our first full season has now come to an end and we are beyond grateful for the way this city has welcomed us,” Ekholm wrote. “Although we wish we could have written another end to this amazing season, we will always remember how a hockey team and a city came together and shared one big dream. Keep on believing. See you in the fall.”
This heartwarming message from Ekholm comes just days after McDavid sent out a thank you message that also encouraged fans to keep on believing. It’s clear that this group, despite the tough loss, believes they are not only capable of making it back to the Cup Final, but winning it all next year.
While there is plenty of work to be done in order for that to happen, the Oilers have a great opportunity to do so. They not only re-signed several key players from last season, but added two top-six forwards in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, ensuring they will be a fantastic team to watch through the course of the 2024-25 campaign.
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