Red Deer Rebels captain Jayden Grubbe has been chasing his dream of playing in the NHL since the first moment he laced up his skates.
And last week his dream became inevitable after he signed with the Edmonton Oilers to a three-year entry-level deal.
This came after the Oilers traded for his rights from the New York Rangers, the team that drafted him two years ago in the third round.
Once the Rangers made it clear they didn’t want to sign Grubbe, they decided to trade him a day before the NHL’s deadline on June 1. If he was left unsigned by the deadline he would have been eligible for the upcoming draft.
The uncertainty of the moment left Grubbe not knowing what his future may hold.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen so it was good to get it off my back,” he told The Advocate. “It was definitely a little stressful.
“I can just focus on the summer and now moving into next season… Edmonton came in right at the end so it was a little bit surprising. It worked out pretty well so it’ll be a good opportunity.”
The Calgary native grew up a Flames fan and will have to switch up his battle of Alberta alliances.
“It’ll be a little weird for the first bit to get used to but it’ll be exciting. It shouldn’t be too hard to switch but we’ll see,” he said.
“It’s pretty exciting staying in my home province. It will be cool to stay and hopefully play for Edmonton one day.”
Grubbe has spent four seasons in Red Deer, and the last three as captain. In 194 games he notched 39 goals and 95 assists for 134 points. In the playoffs, he’s added 20 points in 22 games.
Playing in Red Deer he said has undoubtedly helped shape him into the player he is today.
“As a person as well. All the Sutter’s have helped with that and the way the organization is run. That’s definitely a big part of it,” he said.
“And then on the ice learning how to play the right way and to play the pro game. I think that’ll translate to the next level for me.”
The 20-year-old forward is offensively talented but doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game. He explained the Oilers are optimistic about his versatility, especially on the penalty kill, in the faceoff circle, and his physicality.
“They’re excited about that. Just coming in with the mindset to play pro next year and go from there,” he added.
Grubbe will be eligible to return to the Rebels for his final season in the WHL but the Oilers could also decide to keep him in the AHL following training camp.
Grubbe will first head to development camp in July with the other rookies before reporting to training camp in August.
“I think I bring a little bit of everything and I’m someone who’s not afraid to get to the dirty areas and play hard… Someone who can do it all I think that’s what they’re looking for.”