Former New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique addressed the media and spoke about his first Stanley Cup Final run in 2012 and the trade that brought him to the Edmonton Oilers.
On Saturday night, former New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique will skate onto the ice at Amerant Bank Arena with the Edmonton Oilers for Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The 34-year-old will play for the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career and the first time since his rookie season with the Devils in 2012.
"It does not feel like that long ago," Henrique said with a laugh. "Being a rookie, I guess (you) don't fully understand what it takes every single year to get (to the Final). You think, okay, we will just be in the playoffs again next year and hopefully get back here and have another opportunity, but that doesn't happen."
Henrique only appeared in four playoff games between 2012 and 2024.
He began the 2023-24 season with the Anaheim Ducks but was moved to the Oilers in a three-team trade on March 6.
"Going into the year, we knew my situation and (that I was) likely to be traded or moved," he said. "The hardest part of all that was not knowing where that would be; even down to the last day, we were still kind of waiting."
As the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline approached, Henrique's name circulated with many teams rumored to be interested. He was the perfect rental because he is in the final season of a five-year contract he signed with the Ducks and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
"It was exciting to come here to a team with the aspirations to win the Stanley Cup," Henrique said. "It has only been a few months of me being here, but a lot of guys have been here for a long time wanting to get to this position and be able to come in and help the group get here over the last few months has been a lot of fun for me and a lot of special moments for me and my family."
Henrique has appeared in 10 postseason games for the Oilers and has four points (two goals, two assists). On June 7, Bob Stauffer, Radio Color Commentator for the Oilers, reported Edmonton's line combinations, and Henrique centered Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown.
"To be back here and go on a run has been a lot of fun," he said. "For me, it puts that excitement back into the game every day. When you are in a rebuilding situation, it is different. It is hard to go in when, maybe by Christmas time, you know you are not in the playoffs, and then you have to find other ways to stay motivated.
"You are playing maybe for contracts or that sort of thing. There's a lot that you are playing for, but not the Stanley Cup. To be here and have the opportunity again is something we're not taking for granted. There's plenty of work to be done for the group in here and it is exciting to be part of it."
Game 1 will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ABC at 8:00 P.M. EST.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBV1Z26QuWg[/embed]