NHL fans have the pleasure of looking back at former players whom they admired. Thinking about the awesome memories and the joy they brought them. There is also the pleasure of looking back at players who made brief appearances with a certain team that no one remembers. This is something that diehard fans do and call them “legends.”
The Edmonton Oilers have had some forgettable players in their history, especially during the decade of darkness.
Let’s see if you remember any of these Oiler legends.
Richard Bachman
Richard Bachman was a goalie who made his NHL debut in the 2010–11 season. He began his NHL career with the Dallas Stars after having a phenomenal 0.927 save percentage in the AHL that season. For the next two seasons, he was a decent backup to Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen. He made thirty-two appearances for the Stars before the Edmonton Oilers signed him in the 2013 offseason. Craig MacTavish signed Bachman to a one-year deal worth $625,000.
Bachman began his season in the AHL with the Oklahoma City Barons, where he was acceptable, posting a 0.908 save percentage. Eventually, the Oilers called him up to make his Oilers debut against the Los Angeles Kings. Bachman had a legendary performance. The 26-year-old made 47 saves on 48 shots in a 2–1 shootout loss. He was the only one who kept the Oilers in the game, as the Kings outshot them 48–18.
The former Oiler made another start two days later and was less successful. He allowed four goals on 26 shots in a 4–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Afterwards, he only made one more appearance for the Oilers that season, in relief of Jason LaBarbera.
The goaltender signed with the Oilers for one more season and made six more appearances. The most memorable start for Bachman as an Oiler was on March 27, 2015. Here, he shut out his former team, the Stars, recording a 29-save shutout. Jordan Eberle scored the game-winning goal on route to a 4–0 victory. This was one of Bachman’s two NHL career shutouts. This game was special for another former Oiler who is next on our list.
Andrew Miller
Forward Andrew Miller was best known for his time in the AHL. The Oilers signed him after university, where he played four seasons with Yale. Miller was a successful player at Yale as he was a point-per-game player every season. In the 2014–15 season, Miller had a career year in the AHL. He had 27 goals and 60 points throughout 63 games. This earned him an opportunity to play in the NHL as the Oilers called him up.
Miller made his NHL debut on March 18, 2015. He recorded four shots and had a minus-two rating in a shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Miller scored his first and only NHL goal in the same game as Richard Bachman’s shutout against the Dallas Stars. It was a beautiful goal on a penalty shot late in the game. This provided Miller with a boost of confidence as he went on to have the best game of his career after this.
On March 30, 2015, Miller had a three-assist game against the Colorado Avalanche. Two out of three of these assists were on empty net goals; however, not a lot of people can brag about a three-assist game in the NHL.
After this, Miller went on to play in six more games the following season before spending the rest of his hockey career in the AHL and Europe.
Jan Hejda
Defenceman Jan Hejda was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2003 NHL Draft. He was eventually traded to the Oilers for a seventh-round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft. Hejda became an NHL regular with the Oilers in the 2006–07 season. He played in 39 games and was a decent depth defenceman for the organization. His first career NHL goal came on January 8, 2007, against the Los Angeles Kings. This was an overtime winner that was assisted by Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff.
After his brief stint with the Oilers, Hejda played four seasons each with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche. These were the prime years of his career, during which he played consistently in the bottom pairings of the lineup. The defenceman was lucky enough to play in ten career playoff games. He played in the memorable first-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild. His season ended in heartbreak as Nino Niederreiter scored the series-winning overtime goal in Game 7.
Josh Currie
Josh Currie is the most memorable on this list. He was with the Oilers organization for parts of six seasons and made his NHL debut on February 19, 2019. This was an intense matchup against the Arizona Coyotes. Currie did not have much of an impact in his first game, but he got used to the NHL game quickly. In his third NHL game, he scored his first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks off a rebound from Milan Lucic.
Currie became a depth piece of the Oilers during the 2018–19 season and played in 21 games. He had five points in those 21 games, producing some secondary scoring for the Oilers. Unfortunately, these were his last moments with the Oilers.
After another season in the AHL, Currie signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a UFA. He went on to make one appearance for the Penguins on March 2, 2021, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Once his season with the Penguins organization was over, Currie bounced around between the KHL, AHL, and now the DEL. He is probably still good enough to play in the AHL, although his days in the NHL are likely over.
Do you remember any of these former Oilers?
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