Ryan Smyth - 'I had a short time here and it was alright'

On January 22, 1995, Ryan Smyth made his NHL debut - playing for the Edmonton Oilers in Los Angeles versus the Kings.

And 1,080 games later, he was back in Southern California - in a different building though - yet, back in an Oilers jersey and ready to take on the Kings once again.

Same result - Edmonton defeated LA.

He also picked up a goal this time around, his sixth goal on the season and has now scored in three straight contests.

Afterwards, he had this to say...

On the overall game - "Obviously it’s nice to get the win, that’s first and foremost. We played a great game. Habby (Khabibulin) obviously played great. We did the little things right that make the difference."

On why he left - "I had a short time here and it was alright. I just felt it was best for my family to move on and it’s always nice to win. After the first two games when we lost after having the lead, we regrouped and have played well. It built some character and we’re playing for each other as a team now."

Rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added the following...