Mattias Ekholm Talks About Hat Trick and a Big Night — But Are the Edmonton Oilers Keeping a Bigger Secret? 

Mattias Ekholm Talks About Hat Trick and a Big Night — But Are the Edmonton Oilers Keeping a Bigger Secret?

Mattias Ekholm spoke in a calm way when he talked about what many are saying was a surprising event in the recent history of the Edmonton Oilers. A defenseman got a hat trick. It was a “big night. ” News articles are everywhere about it. But behind Ekholm’s calm words is a tricky question that Oilers fans keep wondering: why did it take so long for something like this to happen?

Ekholm played down his personal achievement, saying it was because of “team structure” and making “the right decisions at the right moments. ” However, this answer has only led to more questions. Was this just a lucky moment, or does it mean the Oilers have not used one of their best defensemen correctly all year?

Let’s be real—defensemen don’t just get up and score hat tricks in the NHL without a reason. Something changes. Something happens. That night, it wasn’t just the Anaheim team or a tired opponent that struggled. It was the Oilers’ system finally allowing Ekholm to play freely.

Some fans think it’s justice in a way. Others are not so forgiving, saying that the coaching staff in Edmonton might have accidentally held back Ekholm’s offensive skills for strict defensive tasks. If that’s true, how many more chances like this were missed?

Ekholm even hinted at this idea, saying that “confidence changes everything. ” That one line has started a heated discussion among Oilers fans. Confidence from where? Trust from whom?

While the team enjoys their achievement, critics see it as a warning: if a seasoned defender needs a “big night” to show what he can do, what else is being kept from this team’s potential?

One thing is clear—Mattias Ekholm didn’t just score three goals. He opened up a discussion that Edmonton might not be ready to deal with.

And for those who doubt, this might only be the start.