"It's against Calgary, so it's a rival of course and it's going to be an intense game," defenceman Philip Broberg said. "We just have to prepare for the game.
"A lot of good players are here, and obviously on their team as well, so I'm just looking forward to playing a game again. It's been a long time."
The lead-up to tonight's puck drop has been action-packed for the Oilers rookies in the previous three days, but the group feels it's experienced significant progression from first introductions into a team ready to compete.
"It's been great," forward James Hamblin said. "The energy level of everyone has been awesome, and I think everyone's come prepared. Everyone's a little outgoing too, so we're getting along pretty well, and the pace has been great."
Above all, it's an Oilers Rookie crop keen to impress in its first opportunity to do so.
"I think we have a great group of guys here; driven guys," Broberg added. "It's our first game together, so we're just going to go out and play, have some fun, and see where the night takes us."
NORTH TO SOUTH
The concept of a 'north-to-south' game of hockey isn't limited to the fact that the lineups will consist of rookies from two teams on opposite ends of Highway 2.
When looking for the best way to pack as much teaching as he could into only two full practices before tonight's 5:00 p.m. puck drop, Woodcroft used the theme to guide his on-ice sessions with the Oilers rookies.
"We just thought that was a creative way to try and get the most out of that day of practice," he said. "So the first day, we wanted to go north, and north meant attacking teams' nets either with possession while crossing the offensive blueline or giving up possession and trying to get it back.
"Then, yesterday's practice was about working back towards our own end, so we called that going south… We just wanted to paint a picture as clearly as we could, and I think it resonated with the players."
