St.Albert NHL Players

There used to be a time when the bulk of NHL players came from rural communities. Gordie Howe was the product of Floral, Sask., Bobby Orr hailed from Parry Sound, Ont., and Bobby Hull’s birthplace was Pointe Anne—now an Ontario ghost town. Today, NHL players can come from any size of municipality almost anywhere in the world. Not to be left out of the mix is St. Albert, which for decades has contributed its fair share of players to the pro league. Here’s a look at a few of them.

Matt Bening 

This St. Albert native first made his mark with the hometown Saints for two seasons until the Boston Bruins drafted him in the sixth round in 2012. But his NHL debut was with the Edmonton Oilers, who picked him as a free agent in 2016. He spent four years with Edmonton, before landing with the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, and eventually the Toronto Maple Leafs, who put him on waivers in 2024.

(Games played: 464, Goals: 17, Assists: 85, Points: 102) 

Joe Benoit 

According to NHL stats, Benoit was the first St. Albertan to play in the league in 1940, his first of five seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, helping them earn one Stanley Cup title. Benoit missed a year when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War. During that time, he also played with the Calgary Currie Army hockey team. 

(Games played: 185, Goals: 75, Assists: 69, Points: 144)

Rob Brown 

Although born in Kingston, Brown spent most of his youth in St. Albert, where he played for the local Sabres and the Saints, until finishing off his junior years in Kamloops. He signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1987, where he had his best years, including the 1988/89 season when he scored 49 goals, the fifth-highest tally in the league at the time. After stints with the Hartford Whalers, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings, he returned to Pittsburgh for three seasons, finishing his NHL career in 2000.

(Games played: 543, Goals: 190, Assists: 248, Points: 438)

Nick Holden 

This native St. Albertan first played hockey locally in 2003 with junior teams like 18U Steel and the AAA Raiders, but it wasn’t until 2010, when he turned pro with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Three seasons later, Holden wound up with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons, until he found himself landing spots with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Ottawa Senators, before retiring in 2023. 

(Games played: 654, Goals: 52, Assists: 126, Points: 178)

Jarome Iginla 

Edmonton might have been his birthplace, and the Calgary Flames may have adopted him, but St. Albert can always claim Iginla was where his hockey career started. After spending his junior career with the St. Albert Raiders and Kamloops Blazers, Iginla ignited in 17 stellar seasons with Calgary, starting in 1995, and leading the team to the finals in 2004, won leading scorer and leading point-scorer titles, and became the Flames’ all-time leading scorer. Enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, Iginla also was on hand to see St. Albert’s Akinsdale Arena named in his honour in 2019. 

 (Games played: 1,554, Goals: 625, Assists: 675, Points: 1,300)

Tyson Jost 

Jost may have been born in St. Albert, but his formative years were spent in B.C., playing with teams in Penticton and the Okanagan. He came to public attention winning gold for Team Canada in the World Juniors in 2016, in the process breaking Oilers great Connor McDavid’s tournament points record.  He quickly signed with the Colorado Avalanche, where he spent six seasons, which led to stints with the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes. Placed on waivers during the off-season, Jost was picked up by the Nashville Predators in October. 

 (Games played upon conclusion of 2024/25 season: 495, Goals: 61, Assists: 88, Points: 149)

Eddie Joyal 

Born in St. Albert, Joyal first played with local teams like the Edmonton Oil Kings until he joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1962, helping them reach the finals two years later. After tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and the Philadelphia Flyers, Joyal jumped to the newly-formed World Hockey Association in 1972. He spent four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, where he retired in 1976, three years before the franchise joined the NHL.

 (Games played: 465, Goals: 128, Assists: 138, Points: 262; WHA games played: 239, Goals: 57, Assists: 55, Points: 112)

Mark Messier 

The all-star affectionately called “Moose” might be an Edmonton native, but St. Albert quickly claimed him, once he dominated with the Saints during his teens. In 1979, the Edmonton Oilers signed Messier, who was instrumental in the team winning five Stanley Cups. He added another trophy in 1994 with the New York Rangers, who acquired him from the Oilers three years earlier. But Messier has other distinctions, such as being the only captain of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, two NHL most valuable player awards and two most outstanding regular season player titles. Fittingly, part of St. Albert Trail is named after him.

(Games played: 1,756, Goals: 694, Assists: 1,193, Points: 1,887)

Troy Murray 

Born in Calgary but raised in St. Albert, Murray first got noticed in 1978 during his two-season tenure with the Saints. After playing stateside, he was chosen to be team captain of Canada’s World Junior squad, which struck gold at the 1982 championships. He quickly signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he stayed for 10 seasons, even winning the NHL’s best defensive player award in 1986. Murray also played briefly with the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche, where he concluded his career in 1996.

 (Games played: 914, Goals: 230, Assists: 354, Points: 584)

Colton Parayko 

Still going strong with the St. Louis Blues, this St. Albertan first went north to develop his hockey skills, first with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and later with the University of Alaska’s Fairbanks team. A year after playing with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Parayko debuted with the Blues in 2015, even helping the squad win a Stanley Cup four years later. In 2019, Parayko inked an extended eight-year, $52-million contract with the team.

 (Games played upon conclusion of 2024/25 season: 723, Goals: 77, Assists: 218, Points: 295)