Jordan Oesterle

Jordan Oesterle ( ; born June 25, 1992) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Nashville Predators. He played college ice hockey for Western Michigan.

Early life Oesterle was born on June 25, 1992, in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, U.S. He attended Divine Child High School located in Dearborn, Michigan in 2010.

Playing career Collegiate Undrafted, Oesterle played collegiate hockey with the Western Michigan Broncos of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), from 2010 to 2014. On March 31, 2014, Oesterle signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

Professional Edmonton Oilers In his rookie professional season in 2014–15 season, Oesterle was initially re-assigned to AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons. He compiled 21 points in 49 games with the Barons before he received his first NHL recall on February 20, 2015. The following day he made his NHL debut with the Oilers in a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Chicago Blackhawks

On July 1, 2017, having left the Oilers as a free agent, Oesterle agreed to a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He endured a slow start to the season, playing in only four of the teams' first 29 games, before joining the lineup more permanently on December 10. As the season progressed, he played alongside veteran Duncan Keith which he said improved his confidence. On December 29, 2017, Oesterle scored his first career NHL goal against Cam Talbot of his former team, the Edmonton Oilers. As he remained on the Blackhawks roster for the entirety of the season, Oesterle established himself in a third-pairing role and recorded five goals and 10 assists over 55 games. While playing with the Coyotes during the 2018–19 season, Oesterle alternated playing alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the first blue-line pair and Ilya Lyubushkin or Jakob Chychrun on the third pair. In these roles, he registered a career-best six goals and 14 assists before being signed to a two-year contract through the 2020–21 season. By March, Oesterle was playing 19 minutes a night as the Coyotes fought for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. He eventually re-entered the Coyotes lineup on November 9, after missing 10 games to recover.

Detroit Red Wings On July 28, 2021, Oesterle signed a two-year $2.7 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

Calgary Flames On July 2, 2023, Oesterle signed as a free agent to a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Calgary Flames. While in Calgary, Oesterle was assigned and recalled to and from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League.

Boston Bruins After a lone season with the Flames, Oesterle continued his journeyman career in signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins on July 1, 2024.

Nashville Predators and retirement On March 5, 2025, Oesterle was waived by the Bruins, and was subsequently claimed by the Nashville Predators the following day.

On July 13, 2026, as an unrestricted free agent, Oesterle announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 years.

International play

Following his breakout season with the Blackhawks in 2017-18, Oesterle was added to the United States roster to make his international debut at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark. Oesterle was the United States extra defenseman at the tournament and only appeared in one game, garnering one assist, in helping claim the bronze medal.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2018 United States WC 1 0 1 1 0 Senior totals 1 0 1 1 0