Adam Henrique Bio
Adam Henrique (born February 6, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). A dependable two-way forward and respected locker-room presence, Henrique is known for his playoff poise, faceoff reliability, and clutch scoring touch.
Selected 82nd overall by the New Jersey Devils at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Henrique has built a 14-year professional career across three organizations. He previously spent time with the Devils and Anaheim Ducks, where he served as an alternate captain and top-six centre. He captured back-to-back Memorial Cup championships with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League in 2009 and 2010.
Early Life and Background
Adam Henrique was born in Brantford, Ontario, to Joe and Teresa Henrique, the second-oldest of four brothers. His father is of Portuguese descent while his mother is of Polish heritage, giving Henrique a multicultural upbringing that shaped his early years in southwestern Ontario.
Henrique grew up in the small rural community of Burford, Ontario, where his father Joe farms fifty acres of tobacco and ginseng. Burford sits about ninety minutes southwest of Toronto, and Henrique developed his game in this quiet agricultural setting, learning the basics of the sport on outdoor rinks and through organized minor hockey.
He played minor ice hockey for the Burford Coyotes of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association Southern Counties League and later appeared in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Brantford 99ers. He graduated to the AAA Brantford 99ers of the Pavilion League, where he played until Minor Midget in the 2005–06 season.
Path to Hockey
In May 2006, Henrique was selected by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League in the second round, 24th overall, of the 2006 OHL Priority Selection Draft. During his OHL rookie season, he won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, signalling his arrival as a high-ceiling prospect.
He went on to win the Memorial Cup with Windsor in both 2009 and 2010, anchoring the Spitfires’ championship runs as a key two-way centre. In 2010, he also appeared in the OHL All-Star Game, and in 2014, the Spitfires retired his jersey number 14 in recognition of his lasting impact on the program.
Adam Henrique Career
Early Career (2010–2012)
Henrique was selected 82nd overall by the New Jersey Devils at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and began his professional career with the Albany Devils, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, during the 2010–11 season. He finished that year as Albany’s second-leading scorer, earning a recall to the NHL.
He made his NHL debut on April 11, 2011, against the Boston Bruins, and scored his first career NHL goal on November 3, 2011, against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Philadelphia Flyers. Henrique was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for December 2011 and finished his rookie year with 16 goals and 51 points in 74 games, earning a spot on the NHL’s 2012 All-Rookie Team.
New Jersey Devils Breakthrough (2012–2017)
Henrique announced himself as a postseason force in 2012, becoming just the second rookie in League history to score an overtime-winning goal in a Game 7 when he sent New Jersey past the Florida Panthers in double overtime. He then scored 1:03 into overtime against the New York Rangers to send the Devils to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, becoming the first rookie to score two series-clinching overtime goals in the same playoffs.
He scored the Game 4 winner against the Los Angeles Kings in the Finals, though New Jersey ultimately fell short. In 2013, Henrique signed a six-year, $24 million contract extension with the Devils. He tied a franchise record with six consecutive games scoring a goal in March 2014, finished the 2014–15 season as the team’s leading scorer despite playing through wrist injuries, and reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in 2015–16. He scored his 100th career goal on October 29, 2016.
Anaheim Ducks Era (2017–2024)
On November 30, 2017, Henrique was traded to the Anaheim Ducks alongside Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick in exchange for Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick. He debuted for Anaheim on December 1, 2017, against the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored his first goal as a Duck the following night. On July 16, 2018, he signed a five-year, $29.125 million contract extension with the club.
Henrique led Anaheim in scoring during the 2019–20 pandemic-shortened season with 26 goals and 43 points in 71 games. On December 17, 2023, he recorded his first career hat trick in his 859th NHL game, a 5–1 win over the New Jersey Devils. He registered his 500th career point with an assist on January 10, 2024, capping a steady Ducks tenure that ended with 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games during the 2023–24 season.
Edmonton Oilers Era (2024–Present)
On March 6, 2024, Henrique was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in a three-team deal that also involved the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Anaheim Ducks. Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup Final that spring but fell to the Florida Panthers in seven games, with Henrique contributing seven playoff points during the run.
On July 1, 2024, Henrique signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Oilers, anchoring their bottom-six centre group with faceoff acumen and playoff experience. The deal runs through the end of the 2025–26 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Henrique is regarded as a steady, defensively responsible two-way centre whose faceoff reliability and penalty-killing instincts have kept him in NHL lineups for more than a decade. He reads plays well in transition, excels in playoff hockey, and provides veteran leadership in high-pressure moments.
Notable Events and Milestones
Henrique’s signature playoff run came in 2012, when his overtime heroics lifted New Jersey past Florida and the New York Rangers and into the Stanley Cup Finals. Other highlights include back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with Windsor in 2009 and 2010, his first NHL hat trick in December 2023, and reaching the 500-career-point milestone in January 2024.
Adam Henrique Career Wins
Henrique has collected two Memorial Cup championships with the Windsor Spitfires in 2009 and 2010, an IIHF World Championship gold medal with Canada in 2021, and a World Championship silver medal in 2019. At the NHL level, he has reached one Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton in 2024.
Memorial Cup Highlights
Henrique won back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with the Windsor Spitfires in 2009 and 2010, serving as a key two-way centre on consecutive Canadian Hockey League championship teams. His jersey number 14 was later retired by the Spitfires in 2014.
Other Wins and Performances
Henrique helped Canada capture gold at the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia, posting six goals and 11 points in 10 games, and added a silver medal with Canada at the 2019 World Championship. He previously represented Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan.
Adam Henrique Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Henrique is the son of Joe Henrique, a Portuguese-descended farmer in Burford, Ontario, and Teresa Henrique, who is of Polish heritage. He is the second-oldest of four brothers, and his multicultural family roots have remained an important part of his identity throughout his hockey career.
Personal Life
Henrique married Lauren Thomas, the daughter of former NHL player Steve Thomas, in 2021. The couple has been part of Henrique’s life throughout his stops in New Jersey, Anaheim, and Edmonton, providing a stable family foundation as he continues his NHL career.
2025 Season Performance
Henrique entered the 2025 portion of the 2024–25 season as a key depth centre for the Edmonton Oilers, contributing on the penalty kill and in faceoff situations while supplying secondary scoring. His steady two-way play has remained a fixture of Edmonton’s bottom six as the club pushes for another deep playoff run.
With the Oilers chasing another Stanley Cup Final appearance, Henrique’s playoff pedigree, including his 2024 Cup Final experience, has positioned him as a trusted option for head coach Kris Knoblauch in crucial matchups. His two-year contract runs through the end of the 2025–26 season, providing roster stability in Edmonton.