Two of the Edmonton Oilers' three draft picks this past June will skate in blue and orange starting Wednesday as the National Hockey League club opens rookie camp.
Defenceman Beau Akey, the Oilers' second-round pick for 2023, and goalie Nathan Day, their sixth-round selection, are among 25 players slated to report for medicals and fitness testing at Rogers Place.
Centre Matt Copponi, Edmonton's seventh-rounder, is not listed among the hopefuls who will make up a rookie squad bound for the four-day Young Stars Classic that starts Friday in Penticton, B.C.
In all, the roster features eight Oilers draft picks and 15 players on camp invites.
Among the draftees are top prospects Xavier Bourgeault, Carter Savoie and Tyler Tullio, forwards who played for the Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton's AHL affiliate, last season.
The Oilers rookies face off against the Winnipeg Jets prospect squad on Friday afternoon at Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre, followed by games Saturday evening against their Calgary Flames counterparts and Monday afternoon against the Vancouver Canucks rookies.
The Oilers' main training camp is slated to begin with medicals on Sept. 20 with on-ice work starting the next day. Their first pre-season game is scheduled for Sept. 24 against the Jets at Rogers Place.
