Home is where the heart is for Connor Brown.
The Oilers forward prioritized that above all else when re-signing to a one-year, $1-million contract earlier this off-season — and no place has captured his heart the way Edmonton has over the course of his nine-year NHL career.
“You try to be open, but my heart was pretty much in Edmonton from the get-go,” Brown said in an appearance on the Fan Pregame on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “That organization, the staff, the team and the fans all helped me overcome a lot of adversity coming off of a long injury and missing a year.”
Brown, 30, suffered a season-ending ACL injury while playing with the Washington Capitals in the 2022-23 season. But the Oilers saw something in the gritty forward and signed him to a one-year, $775,000 incentive-laden contract.
Though he didn’t put up the point totals he had prior to his injury — tallying only four goals and eight assists — his work on the penalty kill contributed in a big way to their otherworldly 94.3 PK percentage in the playoffs.
He also picked up a team-high three shorthanded points in the playoffs as part of his two goals and four assists in 19 post-season games.
The Oilers came within one win of lifting the Stanley Cup and Brown wanted to help the team finish the job, signing a team-friendly contract to keep the good times going.
“It’s amazing. I think everyone wanted to get back there,” Brown said. “When you get a taste like that and you’re so close, you kinda want to get it over the finish line. We love coming to the rink together, we’ve got a great group of guys. I think everyone is excited to get back there.
“I love it there. That’s where I wanted to be.”
It certainly also helps that the Oilers could be looked at as one of the most attractive destinations for guys craving a taste of glory.
The Stanley Cup Final appearance speaks for itself, but add onto that the chance to play with the best player in the world in Connor McDavid, and re-signing in the place Brown now calls home turned into a no-brainer.
Brown also credited the staff for helping him fit in last season and explained why it was a team effort to make it feel as though this was where he belonged. He pointed specifically at the Oilers’ sports science department, calling them “elite” because of their ability to get him healthy and keep him that way.
Of course, he also gave a special shoutout to the fanbase, as Oil Country stood behind him through the ups and downs of a tumultuous season.
“The people there in Edmonton and the fans, it’s kinda like nowhere else,” Brown said. “It’s just such a hockey town through and through. Everyone is living and dying by it. It’s really that true, authentic hockey feel that I don’t know if many places can replicate.”