Edmonton Oilers Once Drafted Tony Hand, the Scottish Prodigy Glen Sather Called Second Only to Wayne Gretzky in Hockey IQ

In the rich history of the NHL, certain names shine not just because of what they achieved, but also for what could have been. Tony Hand is one of those names. A hockey prodigy from Edinburgh, Scotland, Hand’s brief encounter with the Edmonton Oilers in 1986 could have rewritten not just his story, but perhaps subtly altered the arc of NHL history. Though his name may not echo through the league’s hallways like Gretzky, Messier, or Kurri, Tony Hand remains a symbol of untapped potential and a tale of cultural distance, homesickness, and “what if.”

It was the 1986 NHL Draft. The Edmonton Oilers were a dynasty in motion, a juggernaut having just captured their second of what would be five Stanley Cups over seven years. They were a team loaded with Hall of Famers, led by none other than Wayne Gretzky. Amidst this greatness, they used their 12th-round pick—256th overall—to select an unknown 18-year-old forward from Scotland: Tony Hand.

To many in North America, it was a curious pick. Who was this Scottish teenager, and why would a championship team even bother taking a flyer on a player from a country where hockey barely registered? But the Oilers, and in particular GM and head coach Glen Sather, saw something extraordinary.

When Hand arrived in Edmonton for training camp, he was immediately thrown into a whirlwind of elite competition. He stood on the same ice as Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, and Coffey. And yet, remarkably, he held his own. Not with brute force or blistering speed, but with a hockey IQ that startled even the veterans.

Sather himself offered a quote that remains etched in the memory of anyone who followed the story:
“At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice, and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky.”

Let that sink in. The coach of the most dominant team in hockey, a man with an eye for generational talent, said the only player smarter on the ice than Tony Hand was Gretzky. That’s not faint praise—it’s a declaration of brilliance.

The Oilers, impressed by Hand’s performance, assigned him to the Victoria Cougars in the WHL. This was a typical move—junior hockey to help him acclimate to the North American game and culture. But within three games, Hand racked up 8 points, demonstrating that he had the skill to thrive even in unfamiliar terrain.

Then something unexpected happened: he left.

Homesick and overwhelmed, Tony Hand returned to Scotland.

This decision, while understandable on a human level, sent ripples through both his career and the imaginations of fans and scouts alike. In just three games, he showed he could compete. In one training camp, he earned comparisons to the greatest hockey mind of all time. But the cultural gap was too large. The distance from home, the unfamiliarity with life in Canada, and perhaps the sheer weight of what he was being asked to become—it all became too much, too fast.

Hand would never return to the NHL system. Despite interest from North American teams, he stayed in Britain, where he built an extraordinary career. Over decades, he became the most dominant player in British ice hockey history. In over 1,200 games, he scored nearly 5,000 points, both as a player and player-coach. His legacy in British hockey is unparalleled.

And yet, there’s always that lingering “what if.”

What if Tony Hand had stayed? What if the Oilers had managed to convince him to push through the homesickness? What if he had found mentorship under Gretzky and development under Sather? Could he have become a top-six forward on a dynasty team? Would he have been the bridge between European finesse and North American power long before the influx of Russian, Czech, and Finnish stars changed the NHL in the 1990s?

It’s hard to say.

But what is certain is that Tony Hand had the talent. And it wasn’t just the Oilers who saw it. Scouts, teammates, and coaches across two continents marveled at his vision, his creativity, and his passing touch. Hand didn’t need to score to dominate—he controlled the pace of play, always one step ahead of the game, a hockey savant in the mold of Gretzky himself.

The NHL, for all its reach, has always faced challenges embracing international talent from non-traditional markets. In the 1980s, it was even more stark. Today, a teenage prodigy from Scotland would likely have been provided with cultural liaisons, mental health support, and developmental leagues tailored to ease the transition. Back then, it was sink or swim.

Tony Hand chose to return home, and in doing so, he elevated the sport in his country. He inspired generations of British hockey players, served as a role model, and became the first British-born-and-trained player ever drafted into the NHL. For Scotland, he is a legend. For British hockey, a godfather. And for the NHL, he’s the one who got away.

In a poetic twist, Tony Hand was eventually honored with induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame, becoming the first British player to receive the honor. He also earned an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to ice hockey. His legacy was never defined by what he didn’t do in the NHL—but by what he did everywhere else.

Still, the mystique remains. The quote from Glen Sather keeps the embers of that alternate reality burning: “…he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky.” It’s the kind of sentence that lives forever in hockey folklore, whispered by diehard fans who remember the name Tony Hand with a mixture of pride, melancholy, and reverence.

Sometimes, the most captivating stories in sports aren’t about championships or MVPs—they’re about potential, about the beauty of talent that flickered briefly on the biggest stage and then chose a different path.

Tony Hand’s journey with the Edmonton Oilers lasted mere weeks. But in those weeks, he turned heads, opened minds, and showed that even from Edinburgh, a player could skate with the best in the world.

And for a brief moment in 1986, the Oilers had two players who saw the game like no one else. One became “The Great One.” The other became “The Smartest Player You’ve Never Heard Of.” And both, in their own way, changed hockey forever.