That tally, a breathtaking back-handed deke that has topped numerous highlight reels all season, was recently voted the TSN Play of the Year. The Edmonton Oilers rookie forward won handily with 70.3 per cent of the vote in the final round, beating out the Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Cammalleri.
Eberle vividly remembers the goal.
“It was pretty cool if you really sit down and watch it,” said the Regina product and former Regina Pats star. “When TSN called to tell me that I had won, it was a great feeling because it was my first goal. Everyone remembers that first one, and for me, it just happened to be a big one.”
The goal in question came on Oct. 7 at Rexall Place versus the Calgary Flames. Eberle was deployed on a penalty-kill assignment just over a minute into the third period. After a Calgary scoring chance was repelled, Oilers defenceman Jim Vandermeer started a breakout. He fed a soft pass to Eberle, who had broken in behind the Flames defence in the
