The High School Dropout

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In today’s edition…

Growing up, he was the last kid picked on every team.

Too small and too slow, no one wanted him.

But after dropping out of high school and pumping gas at 19 years old, he turned his life around to become a Hall of Fame player.

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This High School Dropout Went From Gas Station Attendant to NHL Legend

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“I was 19 years old, pumping gas and going nowhere.”

When Adam Oates first laced up a pair of skates as a kid in Weston, Ontario, few people figured he’d become a future Hockey Hall of Famer.

Like most other kids, he was more of an average player than a prodigy.

"Growing up I was kind of like the last kid picked for every team because I was very small," he said.

"There was a certain work ethic that gets associated with that: You have to earn your keep every time."

Needless to say, he failed to draw the attention of scouts and coaches at the higher levels.

Oates’ tale from an average youth hockey player to one of the NHL’s all-time setup men is not based on natural talent but through hours of relentless hard work.

Born on August 27th, 1962, in the Toronto suburb of Weston, Oates was like many other boys in the community, playing hockey and lacrosse as a youngster.

Lacrosse was actually his favorite sport.

During his five seasons with the Etobicoke Eclipse in Junior A Lacrosse, Oates set team records, including an astonishing 181 points in 19 games.

After a season in Senior A, he decided that Canada’s national game was no longer for him and focused his full attention on hockey.

Despite being a capable student, he dropped out of high school, mostly due to his attitude.

“I was struggling in school,” he said.

“I was a little bit of a cocky kid, thinking that I would figure out a way to get there. All of a sudden I’m playing tier II (Markham Waxers). I’m a little old and time is running out.” 

While his peers were busy pumping out essays and tests, Oates spent the day pumping gas in between time on the ice.

He was a nearly 20-year-old high school dropout working at a gas station while trying to convince his father that pro hockey was still in his future.

But at that point, he was no different than the rest of his partying peers.

“I was a punk,” Oates said later.

“I think that’s why I'm such a good person now because I was such a bad guy then.”

However, he’d proved to be more than capable as a leader on the ice for the Waxers, including a 159-point season.

Despite impressive numbers, scouts deemed Oates “too slow” and “too small” to play at the next level, leaving him questioning his next step.

"I didn't even get drafted for major-junior," he said.

"That's unbelievable because they had unlimited rounds. It blew my mind. My major-junior draft year I had a ton of points; I was slow, but you would still think they might draft me in the 50th round. It was kind of demoralizing at the time."

Universities didn’t want him either.

"There were no college [recruitment] letters. Nothing."

But in the eleventh hour, Oates found a lifeline.

Paul Allen, an assistant coach for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers – a small program in Troy, New York – was at a game scouting another player when Oates caught his eye.

Impressed with his two-way play, Allen offered him a scholarship to RPI.

After returning to high school to complete his general diploma, Oates packed his bags for the Big Apple.

For three years, he led the Engineers in assists, dropping 42 points in his first 22 games, 83 points in his sophomore season, and a team-record 91 points in his junior year.

Both his coaches and teammates found themselves in awe as time after time he was able to deliver the puck in situations that others could not or would not.

He picked apart defenses with ease, channeling his father’s boyhood idol, English soccer star Sir Stanley Matthews.

“It was kind of our family story growing up. He would always tell me how [Matthews] never scored a goal because he always passed. Because I always passed the puck, it was kind of our family legacy story.”

Despite being the focal point of a team that ran off 38 straight victories and the 1985 National Championship, Oates still hadn’t impressed scouts enough to warrant a selection in the 1985 NHL Draft.

Passing on his senior season, Oates inked an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Red Wings later that year.

Thanks to a 4-year, $1.1 million deal, Oates wound up being the highest-paid rookie in a class that featured names such as Wendel Clark, Sean Burke, and Mike Richter.

"It was better than being drafted,” he said.

Although he notched a goal and an assist during his first NHL game, his rookie season was relatively uneventful, recording just 9 goals and 11 assists in 38 games.

In each of the next three seasons, Oates saw an increase in playing time and point production.

While the team had made the playoffs in three of his four seasons in the Motor City, then-Red Wings GM Jimmy Devellano and owner Mike Illitch wanted more.

Thinking that a veteran presence was the missing piece, Detroit moved Oates and Paul MacLean to St. Louis for Bernie Federko and Tony McKegney.

Despite being upset at first, the move might have been the best for Oates, who found himself lining up with one of the league’s best scorers, Brett Hull.

For the next two and a half seasons, Oates and Hull formed the NHL’s version of Stockton and Malone.

They became known as “Hull and Oates”, with Oates playing the role of the setup man, while Hull filled the net with one-timer rockets and tip-ins.

"I could get one goal and 99 assists and I'd be a happy man. I really would," Oates said.

"That's the way I was raised – to always be unselfish."

During the 1990-91 season, Hull found the back of the net 86 times and Oates recorded a Blues record 90 assists.

“I played in an era of unbelievable players,” said former Avalanche captain Joe Sakic.

“Wayne Gretzky was the best to play the game, but it was Adam Oates for playmaking.”

Although the duo combined for nightly highlights, their union was cut short due to financial squabbles.

While he’d put his signature on a contract extension, Oates was frustrated to see players of similar talent and stats earning more than he was.

Unhappy with his situation, Oates pushed for a trade, this time ending up in Boston.

In his first full season in Beantown, Oates tallied a career-high 142 points, including 97 assists, amounting to third in the league’s scoring race.

It was the second time in his career that he recorded 90 or more assists, joining an elite group including Gretzky, Lemieux, Bobby Orr, and eventually Joe Thornton.

“That’s pretty good company to keep,” Oates noted.

“I don’t mind being on that list at all.”

Stepping out of the shadow of Hull, Oates proved to be a superstar in his own right, helping the Bruins to five straight playoff appearances.

But unfortunately, a sixth straight playoff run was not in the cards as the team struggled during the 1996-97 season.

After airing his thoughts, Oates soon found himself on the move to join the Capitals in a trade that amounted to six players and two draft picks.

Washington would be the longest stop of Oates’ 19-year career, playing 387 games with the Capitals.

It would also be the place where he had his greatest team success, helping Washington to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals.

Unfortunately, the Caps would go up against the dynasty that was the late 90s Detroit Red Wings, falling 4-0.

Oates would have a second opportunity at Lord Stanley’s Cup a few years later as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, following a brief stop in Philadelphia, only to fall short in a memorable seven-game series with the Devils.

Oates's storied career came to an end one season later as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.

At the end of the 2004 season, Oates left the NHL – a league that few figured he would reach – with 1,420 points, 1,079 of which came as an assist in 1,337 games.

Playing the role of an elite setup man in the NHL did Oates little favor when it came to individual awards during his career.

"Adam is a quiet guy; he doesn't draw a lot of attention to himself," said his old teammate Steve Yzerman.

"It's easy to get quoted a lot and get your face out there and he chooses not to. He's not into self-promotion and he doesn't get that attention, but everybody around the league has always recognized how good he is and how smart of a player he is."

A five-time All-Star Game participant, Oates made just one All-NHL Second Team. While a championship eluded him, Oates knew his time in the league was special.

Despite his achievements, he had to wait eight years until he received hockey’s highest individual honor.

With just five minutes of mic time during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Oates did what he did best throughout his career: sharing the spotlight with over 30 people who helped make his journey from a high school dropout to the NHL a reality.

🐶 

This story was written by our friend in the north, Steve Lee. If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend who likes hockey stories.

Here are two more stories you might also like:

• He Went From Picking Up Andy Reid’s Cheeseburgers at 2 A.M. to a 3x Super Bowl Winning GM

• How Giannis Antetokounmpo Went From Greek Street Vendor to NBA Superstar

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I appreciate you making this newsletter a part of your Sunday morning routine.

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

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