TALKING POINTS: Oilers players & head coach speak during end-of-season interviews | Edmonton Oilers

Adam Henrique & Warren Foegele:

Foegele on what he learned about himself in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

“When it’s the playoffs, it’s the ‘we’ time, not the ‘me’ time. I feel like I’ve always been a pretty good teammate and whatever role that I’m asked to do, I try to do it at 100 percent. That kind of was how the playoffs went for me on a personal level with the way it started, and roles change. Whatever gives us the best chance to win.

“That’s why it’s so special about this group. We’ve got a lot of guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win, so that’s what I kind of would characterize my playoffs – do anything to help the team win. Whatever line I’m on, I’m always gonna give it my best and I thought I did that and I’m proud of how hard we all played and it just sucks us coming up a bit short.”

Henrique on the experience of playing in Edmonton during the playoffs:

“To experience firsthand was really special and probably exceeded my expectations. I loved my time in New Jersey and certainly in Anaheim too, but to come here and see how much the team means to the fans, it’s on another level. It really is. To see how much everybody cares, they feel like they’re part of it along with the players, so it certainly exceeded my expectations.”

Foegele gives his thoughts on becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1:

“Well, obviously it stings right now. The game is just a game of inches and you’re playing in the last game of the year for all the marbles, and you just come up just short. So I haven’t really thought so much about Free Agency just because so much just happened. That one’s going to hurt for a while, and obviously in the next couple of days I’ll try to figure out what’s going on and stuff. But I’ve always loved my time here. I’ve created so many great friendships. I love the city. The fans have been great to me. So obviously, I’d like to stay here, but I also know it’s a business and they also need to want to have me, too. It’s not just a one-way street, but nothing but love for my time here and hope everyone knows that when I was out there, I always worked my bag off and I was always giving effort.”

“This is my first experience really ever being a UFA, so for me, my whole career, I’ve always been in the playoffs. It’s four years in a row now that I’ve lost to the Cup champs. I feel like my game, I’m such a competitive player. I want to win, and I know the next couple of days, a [signing] factor for me is a chance to win as well. So I guess we’ll see.”

“I’ve said it to you many times. I think of these guys like brothers, and it’s been a crazy roller coaster my three years here and it’s kind of just our team as a whole. We sometimes just put ourselves in holes and then we get ourselves out of them, and it’s a great group of guys. It’s not even just the players – the staff here is amazing. It’s just a great place to play, and it would definitely be tough [to leave]. I’ve created some really good friends here and I’ve really enjoyed my time here, so it would be hard.”

Henrique on pending free agency after arriving in Edmonton as a trade-deadline acquisition:

“We just had preliminary thoughts as a family of what might be or what could be, and we don’t know yet. So it’s such a quick turnaround here that a lot has to go on with teams heading to the Draft. Who knows what happens at the Draft as far as trades throughout the league and all that, so there’s a lot to go through, but just early thoughts, I loved coming here and having the opportunity to chase the Cup and play with the guys here. I felt like I fit in great with the group, so I think for me, anything’s on the table and we just wait until this weekend or next week to get things sorted.”

“I think there’s a price for winning. Being on a team like Edmonton that’s so close, and year after year now, the Stanley Cup is the goal for me coming in. It kind of renews the passion for the game a bit. I haven’t had the opportunity to be in the playoffs for a long time and have that opportunity to win. For me, I think as far as dollars go, there’s an understanding that it might cost a bit, but whatever that is, it could be worth it in the end. For myself and my family, what the most important thing is moving forward will be key, and hopefully, we can get home to have some discussions with everybody and go from there. But certainly, I don’t think money is the number one thing for me at this point in my career.”