ANAHEIM, CA – Olivier Rodrigue will make his first NHL start against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night as the Edmonton Oilers attempt to clinch a playoff spot with the help of a victory in the final game of their four-game road trip at the Honda Center.
The 24-year-old netminder was in the starter's net during Monday's pre-game skate and looks poised to start in the NHL for the first time in his career after he made his debut on Mar. 27 with seven saves on eight shots in the third period of a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
"Really excited," Rodrigue said. "I've waited a long time for this and I feel like I'm ready, so I just want to go out there and enjoy it as much as I can, but also, give my best and work hard the whole game."
Since being drafted by the Oilers in the second round (62nd overall) at the 2018 NHL Draft, the Chicoutimi, QC product has worked his way up the goaltending ranks to earn this opportunity tonight to start his first NHL game with the team shorthanded and having the chance to clinch a playoff spot.
Rodrigue was 18-15-8 with a .899 save percentage and 3.05 goals-against average over 40 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors this season before he was recalled on an emergency basis during the afternoon of their 6-1 loss to Seattle less than two weeks ago.
Rodrigue came in for the third period of the defeat and acquitted himself well against the Kraken with seven saves, and tonight, he'll get his long-awaited opportunity to start an NHL game after playing spending the past six seasons playing a combined 145 games in the AHL & ECHL.
"It's been a kind of a long time too with COVID and everything," Rodrigue said. "I went to Europe for a little bit and came back. I didn't really play my first year in the AHL. The second year was up and down the East Coast. I think it's all normal and it's all part of the journey for a goalie, but it's finally the time, so it's pretty exciting. My family is going to be there tonight, so a pretty cool feeling and I'm sure they're happy for me."
