Oilers' Hamblin honors late mother after 1st NHL goal

James Hamblin's first NHL goal came with an assist from above.

The Edmonton Oilers forward snapped a shot into the top right corner of the net in the first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Once the puck hit the twine, he knew who to thank.

Hamblin skated to the side, tapped his heart three times and appeared to say, "That's for you, Mom," before being hugged by teammates.

The Oilers posted a video of the heartwarming scene on social media.

After the game, Hamblin reflected on the moment.

"My initial thoughts went right to my mom," he said in the postgame presser. "I've had that celebration in the bank for a few years now, so it was weight off my shoulders to finally score the first one.

"She's in my heart, she's on my back. Hard to not get emotional about it," he added.

Hamblin's mother, Gina, died of cancer in September 2017.

Hamblin made his NHL debut last season and played 10 games but didn't score. His goal on Saturday, which comes in the middle of the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer month, was followed by the touching tribute.