Oilers show the ultimate sign of respect to Johnny Gaudreau with the Leon Draisaitl extension

The Edmonton Oilers made a bit of a splash on Tuesday, announcing a big contract extension for Leon Draisaitl, to the tune of eight years and $14 million annually.

Sure, that record-breaking deal is what's dominated the airwaves since, but one report indicates just how classy the Oilers were in making the announcement. Andy Strickland was the one to report that the deal was done last week, but the team decided to wait for an appropriate time to release the news, out of respect for the recently deceased Johnny Gaudreau, a former adversary who died under sad circumstances. The Oilers decided to hold off on the announcement, allowing the Flames, Blue Jackets, and the entire NHL community time to mourn without any distractions.

Since that sad occurrence, there has been some unity between Edmonton and Calgary, which is a good thing, showing that in those circumstances, the hockey fraternity stands together. The Oilers, while having an opportunity to do so earlier, showed some respect for waiting until now and this kind act will not go unnoticed around the league for having done so.

Source:
Gino Hard on X