Oilers bring back McNelly

Action photo of Cade McNelly of the Tulsa Oilers

TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa Oilers, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks and the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls, announced the re-signing of defenseman Cade McNelly for the 2025-26 season.

McNelly returns to Tulsa after recording six assists and 76 penalty minutes in 31 games last season. He also skated in three of Tulsa’s five postseason contests.

Despite 2024-25 being his first professional campaign, McNelly attended NHL training camp with Los Angeles Kings in 2021, playing for the Kings at the 2021 Arizona Rookie Faceoff tournament.

The 23-year-old played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League, racking up 17 points (6g-11a) and 317 penalty minutes in 122 games - all but one coming with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Westlock, Alberta native led the WHL in penalty minutes during the 2019-20 season, logging 110 to go along with 10 points (3g-7a) in 40 games.

McNelly finished his amateur career with stints in the British Columbia Hockey League with Vernon Vipers and also played for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.