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Stuart Skinner
Stuart Skinner
	Skinner with the Edmonton Oilers in 2023
Born	November 1, 1998 (age 26); Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	230 lb (104 kg; 16 st 6 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
NHL team	Edmonton Oilers
NHL draft	78th overall, 2017; Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2018–present

Stuart Daniel Skinner^[1] (born November 1, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 78th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers.

Playing career

Skinner was born and raised in Edmonton, and played minor ice hockey at the South Side Athletic Club (SSAC), including overlapping seasons on the SSAC Lions of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL) with future Edmonton Oilers teammates Tyler Benson (two SSAC seasons) and James Hamblin (one SSAC season).^[2]

Junior

Skinner played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Swift Current Broncos.^[3]

On March 18, 2016, Skinner scored an empty net goal with the Lethbridge Hurricanes against the Medicine Hat Tigers, making him the only goaltender in franchise history and the seventh in WHL history to do so.^[4]

Edmonton Oilers

After his selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Skinner was later signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers on May 14, 2018.^[5]

Entering the final year of his entry-level contract, Skinner remained on the Oilers roster to start the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season. With an injury to veteran Mike Smith, Skinner served as the Oilers backup to Mikko Koskinen through the first 9 games.^[6] He made his NHL debut and first career start on January 31, 2021, against the Ottawa Senators, collecting his first win in an 8–5 victory.^[7] Skinner would spend the remainder of the season with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). He would lead all goaltenders in wins with 20, and helped backstop Bakersfield to the Pacific Division Championship.^[8]

Skinner would split the 2021–22 season between the AHL and the NHL. On February 14, 2022, Skinner recorded his first NHL shutout against the San Jose Sharks, making 20 saves to win the game 3–0.^[9]

During the 2022–23 season, with the departure of Mikko Koskinen and injury to Mike Smith, Skinner was initially expected to be the backup to newly signed goaltender Jack Campbell. Skinner's strong play along with Campbell's struggling performance led Skinner to take over the starter position.^[10] On January 19, 2023, the NHL announced Skinner as one of three final players of the Pacific Division voted in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, along with teammate Leon Draisaitl.^[11]^[12] Skinner ultimately appeared in 50 games in the regular season, recording a 29–14–5 record with a .914 save percentage. He was voted a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, the NHL's Rookie of the Year award.^[13]

On January 23, 2024, during the 2023–24 season, Skinner recorded his 11th consecutive win, beating the franchise record of 10 previously held by Grant Fuhr.^[14]

Personal life

Skinner is the youngest of nine siblings, all of whom have first names that begin with the letter "S".^[15] He met his wife, Chloe, after a WHL game he played in Lethbridge; they married in June 2020.^[15] Their son Beau was born in 2023.^[16]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season									Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	W	L	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%	GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
2011–12	SSAC Lions	AMBHL	18	—	—	—	—	—	—	2.59	.910	11	—	—	—	—	—	2.60	.900
2012–13	SSAC Lions	AMBHL	21	—	—	—	—	—	—	1.75	.929	11	—	—	—	—	—	1.45	.947
2013–14	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL	4	0	3	0	197	17	0	5.17	.866	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL	43	13	20	5	2,327	143	1	3.69	.909	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL	44	27	10	1	2,238	102	3	2.73	.920	4	1	3	191	12	0	3.76	.862
2016–17	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL	60	34	18	2	3,386	184	2	3.26	.905	20	10	10	12,43	64	0	3.09	.916
2017–18	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL	31	14	15	0	1,737	98	4	3.38	.897	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Swift Current Broncos	WHL	25	16	6	1	1,433	64	2	2.68	.914	26	16	10	1,609	59	6	2.20	.932
2018–19	Wichita Thunder	ECHL	41	15	14	7	2,260	119	4	3.16	.903	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	6	4	2	0	362	18	0	2.99	.879	4	2	1	175	7	0	2.39	.918
2019–20	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	41	16	17	6	2,267	125	1	3.31	.892	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Wichita Thunder	ECHL	3	2	1	0	182	11	0	3.62	.894	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	1	1	0	0	60	5	0	5.03	.868	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	31	20	9	1	1,787	125	2	2.38	.914	6	4	2	336	15	0	2.68	.907
2021–22	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	35	22	7	5	2,088	77	5	2.21	.920	5	2	3	298	14	0	2.82	.911
2021–22	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	13	6	6	0	735	32	1	2.62	.913	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	50	29	14	5	2,904	133	1	2.75	.914	12	5	6	619	38	0	3.68	.883
2023–24	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	59	36	16	5	3,362	147	2	2.62	.905	23	14	9	1,373	56	1	2.45	.901
NHL totals			123	72	36	10	7,059	317	4	2.69	.910	35	19	15	1,992	94	1	2.83	.894

International

Year	Team	Event	Result	GP	W	L	MIN	GA	GAA	SV%
2014	Canada Black	U17	7th	3	1	2	177	12	4.05	.831
2016	Canada	U18	4th	3	2	0	127	6	2.82	.860
Junior totals				6	3	2	304	18	3.55	.849

Awards and honours

Award	Year	Ref
AMBHL
Champion (SSAC Lions)	2012
Best GAA (1.75)	2013
Top Goaltender	2013
WHL
Ed Chynoweth Cup champion	2018
NHL
NHL All-Star Game	2023
NHL All-Rookie Team	2023	^[17]