Golden Bears teaches Oilers Noah Philp “just to enjoy hockey”

Noah Philp didn’t win any national championships with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Hey, he didn’t even win a conference title, choosing instead to join the American Hockey League (AHL) months before his team brought the banner home — as he should.

But Philp has quickly become one of the most successful Bears to knock at Clare Drake’s door, playing center for the Edmonton Oilers and joining the likes of Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, as a Golden Bear in the big leagues.

“It was so much fun being there, and all the guys are great. You get to really band together, because you know nobody’s leaving, everyone’s there together,” Philp said.

You can chalk it up to culture — one the Bears have established so well that even a guy who only played a season and eight games in 2019–22 found that his biggest takeaway from the program was “just to enjoy hockey.”

“You’re taking classes, you’re doing everything together. Just really finding the love for hockey.”

Some might scoff at the perceived caliber in U Sports, but it’s what the players make of it and the resources they choose to use. As the newest rookie for the Oilers, it’s worked out well for Philp.

“They had lots of resources and lots of extra things you could take advantage of. And a lot of the time it’s up to the player, and I felt like I did a decent job of finding what I could to try to improve. I think it definitely helped me develop,” Philp said.

Bears to Oilers, what a climb

There’s no illusions here. Philp went into his first year with the Bears un-drafted, took 27 points in 28 games as a defensive forward, and earned the right kind of attention. The same attention that saw a well-rested prospect walk into the Oilers’ training camp and be one of, if not the last, cuts.

“I had no expectations [for the camp]. I just put in a good summer, I felt ready to play, and I was just trying to come in and play as hard as I could. Basically put my best foot forward every day. I think that when that’s all I focus on, that usually [gets] results.”

A few months in a new league and he’s already sounding like one of the pros who “never try to look too far ahead.” Fair enough — it’s a long way to climb, and playing alongside the likes of Tyler Preziuso is a bit different from Corey Perry, or “the worm” as they say.

“[Perry’s] knowledge of the game is incredible, just to watch how he how he does things out there. I’ve tried to pick his brain and learn from him.”

“And I commend him. He’s seen so many players, and then another young guy comes in. For him to treat me the way that he does, it means a lot to me,” Philp said.

While the man most known for starting problems on the ice welcomes the rookies in, Philp seems inclined to keep his head down and cheer from the sides.

If “something happens, something happens,” Philp said, just one day before Perry flattened Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, for “protecting the stars.”

“We all just have each other’s backs out there.”

25 penalty minutes for “the worm” is a bit tamed compared to the time in the box Philp was probably used to with the Bears — the most penalized team in Canada West. Maybe that’s what he was going for as one of the oldest young guys in the room.

“I’m kind of an old young guy but it’s good. It’s sort of the same process. Maybe for myself, it’s a little different, maybe a little bit more mature, in terms of just seeing how the game flows and [the] risk-reward. I think that’s something that is beneficial about being older — you’ve just seen a little bit more.”

Philp’s seen a lot — he saw the Oilers’ locker room months before finding a solid spot on the fourth line.

“The first time was definitely a lot of excitement, a lot of nerves, that sort of thing. This time, I feel like I’m settling in a bit and trying to really find the game here, and just trying to find the flow of it.”