When he didn't get a call or a text ushering him to the office, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins deduced that he was sticking around long enough to make it to the Edmonton Oilers' team-bonding mini-camp in Jasper, Alta.
"I can't let my emotions get the best of me, but I'm very happy with the way things have gone," said Nugent-Hopkins, who will be in the Oilers' lineup for their season-opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Nugent-Hopkins claimed he didn't have any guarantee that he would be in the Oilers' lineup on opening night, but head coach Tom Renney was more succinct, stating the 18-year-old will play against the Penguins.
Nugent-Hopkins was skating with Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall before the team headed out of town.
"Ryan will start the season with us," said Renney. "We all understand the parameters there that he can operate within before we have to make a real concrete decision. Again, we'll do it a game at a time, but he has had a very good camp."
Nugent-Hopkins, the first pick in last June's NHL entry draft, can play as many as nine regular-season games before the Oilers have to decide whether he stays with the team or returns to the Red Deer Rebels for another season of junior in the Western Hockey League.
Nugent-Hopkins, who started this journey in Penticton, B.C., last month with the other prospects at the Young Stars Tournament, expects the mini-camp will give him a chance to feel more comfortable and really get to know his teammates.
"This is the first time we've really had the team," said captain Shawn Horcoff. "We had a lot of guys here through all of training camp. It will be good to get on the ice and to start skating with some guys and just getting the guys together who are going to start the year."
