Caggiula Brings Winning Spirit to Edmonton Oilers
By: Chris McLachlin, OHA Media
Photo: Andy Devlin/Oilers Entertainment Group
(Originally published in the 2016-17 OHA Annual Report)

(Note: On Sunday July 23, the Ajax-Pickering Raiders and Pickering Hockey Association are partnering with the City of Pickering to recognize Drake Caggiula in a special jersey ceremony. Click here for more details.)

After capping his 4-year university career with the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four Championship as an assistant captain with the University of North Dakota, Pickering, Ontario’s Drake Caggiula signed a two-year entry level contract with the NHL Edmonton Oilers on May 7, 2016.

Drake Caggiula was a member of the Ajax/Pickering Raiders Minor Midget AAA team in 2009-10, finishing the season with 95 points in 66 games and was drafted in the third round of the 2010 OHL Priority Selection by the Erie Otters. Although Otters’ general manager Sherry Bassin tried his best to convince Caggiula that he could make their team, Caggiula decided to start his junior hockey career with the Stouffville Spirit in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). 

Caggiula said, “I decided to play in the OJHL for a few reasons. One reason was because I didn't think I was physically mature enough to play in the OHL at the time and I wanted to give myself a little more time to mature as well as develop my game.” 

The other reason Caggiula chose to play in the OJHL was his desire to keep his NCAA opportunities open; saying, “In the back of my mind I felt like the college route would be more beneficial for my development and therefore I decided not to play in the OHL.”

He joined the Spirit for the 2010-11 as a 16 year old rookie and finished the season with 45 points in 48 games, which was good enough for him to be named as an OJHL North-West Conference 1st Team All-Prospect. “By playing in the OJHL, I was able to get more ice time as a young player as well as play in multiple situations which allowed my game to grow,” said Caggiula.

Caggiula started the 2011-12 season with Des Moines in the USHL but it wasn’t the right fit for him, so after only 4 games he returned to Stouffville. He ended up having another solid season with the Spirit; scoring 34 points in 25 games in a season that saw him suit up for Team Canada East in the 2011 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge and was a member of the OJHL North Division All-Star team at the inaugural Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge. At the end of the regular season he was named a 1st Team All-Prospect for the second consecutive year and was named one of the OHA’s Top Prospects.

Following a solid regular season, Caggiula exploded in the playoffs. In 23 playoff games, Caggiula scored 17 goals and 37 points en route to leading the Spirit to their first-ever OJHL title in a 4-2 series win over the Whitby Fury to claim the OHA Buckland Cup. OJHL Commissioner Marty Savoy said, “During the Spirits’ 2011-12 playoff run to capture the Buckland Cup, Drake played hurt for most of the run and still dominated almost every game he played in. He was in on almost every goal his team scored and was awarded the Brent Ladds Trophy as the 2012 OJHL Playoff MVP for his efforts. “

After two exceptional years in the OJHL with Stouffville, Caggiula realized his dreams of playing in the NCAA with a scholarship to his school of choice, the University of North Dakota. The 5’10”, 185-pound forward accumulated 127 points (62G, 65A) and 94 penalty minutes in 162 career games with North Dakota. 

Just as he did in junior hockey with Stouffville, Caggiula capped off his NCAA playing career in style. In his senior season, Caggiula appeared in 39 games with the University of North Dakota in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), posting 51 points (25G, 26A), 60 penalty minutes and a plus 46 rating. Caggiula led North Dakota to the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four title as an assistant captain and also earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Caggiula ended the 2015-16 campaign with a 12-game point streak which included him registering a point in each game at the NCAA tournament, as well as two goals in the NCAA championship game.

Despite his success in Stouffville and North Dakota, Caggiula went undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft but was a hot commodity as a college free agent immediately after completing his college career with North Dakota. With a number of teams interested in his services, Caggiula signed a two-year entry level contract with the NHL Edmonton Oilers on May 7, 2016.

After starting the 2016-17 season on injured reserve with the Oilers, the 22 year old Caggiula made his NHL debut on Saturday, November 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas versus the Stars. The rookie forward received 12:49 of ice-time and registered his first NHL point, an assist.  Coincidentally, Caggiula made his debut playing against long-time friend, rival and former OJHL Rookie-of-the-Year Devin Shore, who is a member of the Dallas Stars.

Caggiula just completed his rookie season with the Oilers, scoring 18 points (7G, 11A) in 60 games and played an integral role in the team’s successful playoff run into the second round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

The OJHL’s Savoy stated, “The success Drake is having with the Oilers is of no surprise to anyone who follows the OJHL or the Stouffville Spirit. He just has a way of playing big when it counts, as was evident with him winning the NCAA Frozen Four MVP. He displayed a little of that during this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and it is clear he is part of the re-build the Oilers are currently going through.” Savoy added, “Drake is a great example of how through hard work, the OJHL provides a path for players to achieve their dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”

Caggiula looks back fondly on his time in the OHA with Stouffville saying, “Some of my fondest memories while playing in Stouffville were the championships we won, our playoff runs, and the friends and connections I made. I gained experience from winning the Buckland Cup and going to the Dudley-Hewitt Finals which I have been able to take with me to the next levels.”  He added, “The OJHL helped me get to where I am today for a few reasons. It helped me receive a full scholarship to the University of North Dakota, it allowed me at a young age to play a big role on a championship winning team and provided exposure to the NHL.”

Drake Caggiula’s NHL career has only just begun; he’s a proven winner at every level he’s played, so if his track record proves anything, it might not be long before Edmonton becomes the City of Champions again.

(Files from the Edmonton Oilers and the OJHL)