Oilers sign William Nicholl to entry-level contract

A junior hockey veteran has signed his first NHL contract.

On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers announced that the team has signed forward William Nicholl to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal is set to begin in the 2026-27 season.

The signing comes as Nicholl is still competing in the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs with the London Knights. The Knights are trailing the Soo Greyhounds in their first-round series 3-0, with London looking to stay alive with a win on Wednesday night.

Nicholl was originally taken by the Oilers in the seventh round, 196th overall, of the 2024 NHL Draft. It came after a rather mundane rookie season with the Knights, where he scored just 20 points in 65 games. Yet, the Ottawa native had a big coming-out during the 2024-25 campaign. In 66 games, he set career highs in goals (21), assists (36), and points (57), finishing fifth on the team in scoring.

Nicholl added another eight points in the playoffs, as the Knights went on to win the OHL Championship for the second year in a row. London would go on to win the Memorial Cup for the third time in franchise history and first since 2016.

The 19-year-old had a rough start to this season. He underwent surgery during the offseason to repair an upper-body injury. He didn’t make his season debut until New Year’s Eve, but still managed to score 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 32 games.

In 168 regular-season games in the OHL, Nicholl has potted 43 goals and 62 assists for 105 points, with another 17 points coming in 38 postseason games so far.

Prior to becoming a full-time member of the Knights, Nicholl was a stud with the St. Thomas Star of the Greater Ontario Hockey League, scoring 64 points in 43 games during the 2022-23 campaign, earning league rookie of the year honors.