Connor Ingram made a strong debut with the Bakersfield Condors, marking a potentially significant boost for the Edmonton Oilers organization. The Condors secured a 2-1 victory, with Ingram's performance between the pipes drawing attention.
The Edmonton Oilers acquired Ingram from the Utah Mammoth on October 1, 2025, in exchange for future considerations. As part of the trade, Utah retained $800,000 of Ingram's $1.95 million AAV, leaving Ingram with a $1.15 million cap hit. Following the acquisition, the 28-year-old goaltender was assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Ingram's journey to the Oilers organization has been marked by perseverance. The Saskatoon native was awarded the NHL's Bill Masterton Trophy in 2024, an honor given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Ingram has been open about his struggles with mental health, twice entering the NHL's Player Assistance Program. He first entered the program in 2021 to address obsessive-compulsive disorder and again in March of this year after the untimely death of his mother. He was cleared from the program in August.
Prior to joining the Oilers, Ingram played for the Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes. During the 2022–23 season with the Coyotes, on February 15, 2023, Ingram recorded his first NHL shutout in a 1–0 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, making 47 saves and setting the NHL record for saves by a rookie in their first career shutout. On June 25, 2023, he signed a three-year, $5.85 million contract extension with the Coyotes.
With the Condors, Ingram is expected to compete for playing time with Matt Tomkins and prospect Nathaniel Day. Some analysts believe that Ingram's arrival could create a "three-headed goalie monster" in Bakersfield, at least in the short term. While it is too early to definitively say whether Ingram will supplant Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard in Edmonton, his strong AHL debut has certainly put him on the radar.
