ANAHEIM — Edmonton Oilers coach Dave Tippett welcomed Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis to the neighbourhood by putting them on either side of Connor McDavid against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
“House-warming gift,” joked Tippett.
Obviously they’re not coming to the Oilers to be accomplices — Athanasiou from Detroit for two second-round picks and Sam Gagner; Ennis acquired from Ottawa for a fifth-round draft choice.
They’re coming in to be large parts of the puzzle, judging by the company Tippett wants them keeping in their first game.
Athanasiou, or Double-A as everybody calls him, even Tippett because it’s easier to say and spell, can flat out fly. It just so happens that his dad is a pilot for Air Canada, which fits the narrative. It’s also a good story that Ennis grew up in Edmonton, an unabashed Oilers fan.
“Yeah, I had a lot of jerseys. I’d always have one on, playing hockey in the basement,” said Ennis, who was Kailer Yamamoto before there was Kailer Yamamoto, a small guy showing the world size didn’t matter — a first-round draft pick at maybe 160 pounds.
Ennis, a staple at Perry Pearn’s summer 3-on-3 pro camp, is the first Oiler to ever wear 63. He got 63 when he started in the NHL with Buffalo Sabres in 2009 and it’s followed him around, along with his gear.
Athanasiou, who comes from a family of four kids with a stay-at-home mom and his cockpit dad, had number 72 in Detroit and could have had it with the Oilers but is now 28, a number that hasn’t been that illustrious, only Craig Muni and Ryan Jones wearing it for more than three years, with a whole lot of Roman Oksiuta, Lance Nethery, Ken Solheim and Patrick Thoresen in there.
“I think the mascot’s wearing it (72) and i didn’t want to get him a Rolex (to switch),” joked Athanasiou. “Twenty-eight is my mum’s birthday and my brother.”
He’s a long way from that number in goals this year (10) but he did have 30 last season. If he’s a 25-goal scorer with gusts to 30 down the road as an Oiler, they’ll be dancing. Especially Holland.
“Great guy, cares for his players. I was really excited to see him again (after the trade),” said Athanasiou, who was drafted in Detroit on Holland’s watch.
They gave up two second-round draft picks for the 25-year-old, figuring this struggling season is an outlier. Not just the 10 goals but his minus-45 rating. He’s not that bad.
“Lots of empty-net goals and pucks not going in at the other end,” said Athanasiou.
They’re intrigued by how fast he skates, like everybody. He’s not McDavid fast but he’s close, and having them on the same line could be exhilarating. He’s probably in the top three along with Detroit’s Dylan Larkin, but there’s only one McDavid. He bows to his warp speed.
“Fortunately I watched a lot of Oilers games (TV) this year. He’s a fun guy to watch,” said Athanasiou, who is from outside Toronto. “I think you just have to stick to your game plan, and try to open up as much ice as you can. With my speed I’ll be able to open up a bit of extra ice — give him time and space to do his thing.”
Certainly, Athanasiou doesn’t come to work in gum boots.
“It takes work, too — you can’t just rely on it,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working on that fast twitch. It’s everyday work, but it’s definitely one of my strengths.”
The Ennis story is well-worn, of course. Growing up with Jared Spurgeon in the west part of Edmonton, friends from before elementary school, both cut from their Bantam AAA team. Both written off as too small until they weren’t with Ennis’s Oilers debut his 605th NHL game.
Thrilled to wear an Oiler jersey as a 30-year-old man, not a 12-year-old.
“Just like any other kid in Edmonton. In that sense it’s a bit of a dream come true. A lot of kids in Edmonton, just like myself, grow up wanting to play for the Oilers. Doug Weight was my favourite but there was a lot of conversation over dinner about Wayne Gretzky, too. Best player of all-time,” said Ennis, who scored his first-ever goal in Edmonton Dec. 4 when Ottawa was at Rogers Place.
Playing with McDavid right away is obviously a little different than, say, breaking in with Gaetan Haas—no disrespect to the Swiss centre. But, he looks around and also sees Leon Draisaitl.
“Two of the best players on the planet and I get to play with Connor (right away),” said Ennis.
