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Sam Gagner, Detroit Red Wings (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

Celebrating Sam Gagner’s Career as He Hangs ’em Up

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jackson Scherger | Last updated May 19, 2025 10:25 AM ET

Many players that get their chance in the NHL are never quite sure when their last game might be. With so much new talent coming in each year and so little room for error, the current players have to always be at the top of their game. When you think of a guy who personifies exactly that, a guy who plays every game like it’s his last, you have to think of Sam Gagner.

Gagner recently announced his retirement from professional hockey and immediately took a job with the Ottawa Senators as their Director of Player Development. He played in their organization this season with the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators, where he recorded 10 points in 19 games. His career was a wild ride that took him all over the place via trades, signings, and professional tryouts (PTOs). He has some great memories and a special record that Edmonton Oilers fans won’t soon forget. Let’s take a look at Gagner’s time in professional hockey.

Where It All Began

Gagner was drafted sixth overall by the Oilers back in 2007. He was a highly touted prospect playing with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) at the time. He joined an Oilers team that had a rough season prior and was looking to rebuild with young talent. He was a great addition to the team and made himself known fast.

Gagner’s first stint with the team lasted seven seasons. He was a solid role player that became a fan favourite over time. He recorded anywhere between 37 and 49 points a season and was a reliable option anywhere in the lineup. What he is most known for, not only as an Oiler but around the league as well, came in a game on February 2, 2012. In an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, Gagner recorded eight points (four goals and four assists). He is the only player to complete that feat this century and is a part of an elite list to do it.

In honor of his retirement, we’ll never forget Sam Gagner’s 8-point night with the Oilers back in 2012 pic.twitter.com/P4PaKr1iK6
— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) May 15, 2025

It was the summer of 2014 when Gagner had to say goodbye to his first NHL home (for the first time) as he was traded twice in one day. He was initially sent to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Teddy Purcell, however, he was soon flipped to the Arizona Coyotes with another player for a draft pick. This two-trade day was only the beginning of a long and winding journey for the scrappy forward.

Gagner’s Tour of North America

After a solid 2014-15 season with the Coyotes, they shipped Gagner off to the Philadelphia Flyers in a move that was strictly cap-focused for both teams. Then, after a down year with the Flyers with some time spent in the minors as well, he picked up and moved again. This time was different from the others. He took the veteran minimum to play with the Columbus Blue Jackets in hopes of reasserting his value in the league. And that’s exactly what he did.

Gagner tied his career-high with 18 goals and set a career-high in points with 50 in an all-around stellar season. He showed that he was worth more than what he signed for and that he still had plenty left in the tank. And teams saw that going forward.

On the opening day of free agency in 2017, the Vancouver Canucks rewarded Gagner with a three-year deal worth a little over $3 million average annual value (AAV). A large pay bump from the previous season and a contract with term is all any player can ask. However, things did not pan out for Gagner in Vancouver, as just shortly into his second season there, he was placed on waivers. He would go on to do a short and successful stint with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies before ultimately the Canucks would flip him in a 2019 trade back to where it all began; the Oilers.

Square One, Then Back on the Road

The Oilers acquired Gagner for forward Ryan Spooner midway through the 2018-19 campaign. He finished out that season with them and played the first half of the next season with them as well. However, Edmonton’s fans would have their hearts broken a second time as about a year and a week after the team traded for Gagner, they traded him with a pair of picks to the Detroit Red Wings for a couple players, one of which was Andreas Athanasiou.

Sam Gagner, Detroit Red Wings (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

Gagner had a decent stint with the Red Wings. He spent from the end of the 2019-20 season until the end of the 2021-22 season with the team, posting average numbers for a bottom-six guy. The next season was spent once again in a new city, this time in Winnipeg with the Jets. He had a quiet season there, and it was looking like this could be the end. But of course, it couldn’t be the end just yet without at least one more stop at the place where everyone knew his name.

One Final Return Home

Gagner signed a PTO with the Oilers in the summer of 2023, and although he didn’t make the team right away out of camp, he was signed to a one-year deal in late October of that season and joined the team immediately. He would play in 28 games that season, registering 10 points. He also got to finally be a part of a run to the Stanley Cup Final that season as an Oiler. Although he never appeared in a playoff game for Edmonton, his name was still on the playoff roster, and he got to be in the locker room and be involved in it all.

Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner (Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

After last season, Gagner said his final goodbye to the Oilers. He signed one final professional contract, joining the Belleville Senators for this past season, as mentioned earlier. Even though he had to finish his career in the AHL, it is fitting that his final NHL game was in an Oilers uniform. It really speaks to how his career went and where he started.

Gagner finishes his career with 197 goals and 529 points in 1,043 games played. He also tallied four points in 11 playoff games with the Flyers and Blue Jackets. He is a decorated junior hockey player and a well-respected veteran across the NHL. His eight-point game will live in history forever and will be replayed by fans everywhere for years to come. His journey through the league is both unique and a testament to how hard-working and resilient he was, both on and off the ice. Hockey won’t soon forget about Gagner, especially those from Oil Country.