Edmonton Oilers

Team information

• Inaugural season: 1972
• Home arena: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Owner: Daryl Katz
• Team colors: Orange, navy blue, and white

Overview

The Edmonton Oilers are a National Hockey League franchise that plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Originally founded in 1972 as part of the World Hockey Association (WHA), the Oilers first took the ice as an NHL team in 1979. Since that time, the Oilers have won several Stanley Cup championships and boasted some of the all-time great players in NHL history. By the 2019–2020 season, the Oilers earned an all-time record that included 1,434 wins, 1,318 losses, 262 ties, and 165 overtime losses. Frequently competitive, the Oilers are perhaps best known for their powerful 1980s teams that won a string of Stanley Cup championships with the aid of Wayne Gretzky, the best player in NHL history. The Oilers are also a financially successful franchise, worth an estimated $1.85 billion in 2022-2023, making it the seventh most valuable franchise.

In addition to their on-ice play, the Edmonton Oilers maintain an active commitment to philanthropic endeavors. Most of their efforts in this regard are carried out through the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF). Since 2001, the EOCF has been giving back to the Edmonton community through various programs aimed at supporting health and wellness, education, and youth oriented hockey programming. All of the EOCF’s efforts are ultimately intended to help improve lives and build strong communities. Over the years, the EOCF has donated more than $40 million to various charities, community organizations, and minor hockey programs across Northern Alberta. In 2018-19 alone, the EOCF donated $4.3 million to these groups.

History

The history of the Edmonton Oilers began with the formation of the WHA in 1971. A new professional hockey league that would briefly rival the NHL in the 1970s, the WHA was originally to have an Alberta-based franchise called the Calgary Broncos. When that team folded before the start of the inaugural WHA season, a new Edmonton-based franchise was established. The new team was owned by W.D. “Wild Bill” Hunter, who already owned an amateur hockey team known as the Edmonton Oil Kings. Hunter initially called his WHA franchise the Alberta Oilers because it was meant to be a team for both Edmonton and Calgary and would play its home games in both cities. As it happened, the team ended up playing all of its games in Edmonton and eventually became known as the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers took the ice for the first time on October 11, 1972, defeating the Ottawa Nationals 7–4 in the first game in WHA history. While the Oilers largely foundered during their first few seasons, the team managed to generate interest in hockey among the people of Edmonton. The turning point for the Oilers came in 1976 when Hunter opted to sell the franchise—a move that ultimately allowed business partners Nelson Skalbania and Peter Pocklington to become its new owners. That same year, Skalbania and Pocklington succeeded in bringing an up and coming player named Wayne Gretzky to the Oilers. Originally acquired by Skalbania, the highly promising Gretzky later signed a 21-year personal services contract with Pocklington. This made Gretzky an employee of Pocklington instead of the Oilers organization. It also set the stage for the Oilers’ rise as a hockey dynasty.

As the Oilers gradually improved on the ice, the WHA’s ongoing instability became an insurmountable problem. By the 1978–1979 season, it was clear that a merger with the NHL was inevitable. At the conclusion of the 1979 playoffs, which ended with the Oilers losing to the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA Finals, the league officially merged with the NHL and ceased all operations. With that, the Edmonton Oilers and three other WHA teams joined the NHL as expansion clubs.

Although Pocklington retained control of Gretzky’s contract, a large portion of the Oilers’ roster was lost to other NHL teams. Force to rebuild as a result, the Oilers subsequently acquired a lineup of new players that included future greats like Mark Messier and Grant Fuhr. In their first NHL season, the rebuilt Oilers quickly found success and even earned a playoff berth. While the team was eliminated in the first round, Gretzky won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

With former player Glen Sather serving as coach, general manager, and president, the Oilers soon emerged as one of the NHL’s premiere teams. In the 1982–1983 season, the Oilers made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite getting swept by the then-dominant New York Islanders, the Oilers proved they were a legitimate contender. The following year, the Oilers returned to the Finals and this time defeated the Islanders to win their first Stanley Cup. Over the next several years, the Oilers reigned as the NHL’s most dominant teams, winning additional Stanley Cup championships in the 1984–1985, 1986–1987, and 1987–1988 seasons. After the 1988 win, Gretzky was traded the Los Angeles Kings in what is widely viewed as the most notoriously one-sided deals in NHL history. Still, the Oilers managed to pull off one more Cup win in 1989–1990 before their 1980s dynasty finally came to an end.

The 1990s and early 2000s were a period of great struggle for the Oilers both on and off the ice. While the team itself was mediocre at best for a long stretch, the Oilers franchise experienced serious financial problems and nearly folded. In the end, the Oilers were sold to a group of local Edmonton business owners in 1998. On the ice, the team had its best season in years in 2005–2006, finally making it back to the Stanley Cup Finals in what turned out to be a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Two years later, the team was sold again to Rexall drugstore chain owner Daryl Katz. This change did little to help the Oilers’ on-ice fortunes, however. After their unexpected run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, the Oilers began struggling again. One bright spot was the Oilers’ acquisition of prospect Connor McDavid in the 2015 NHL entry draft. Even with the addition of McDavid, the team’s struggles continued in the years that followed.

During the 2022-2023 season, the Oilers had three players each reach the 100-point milestone: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers finished the season with 50 wins and earned an opening-round playoff match with the Los Angeles Kings. However, after defeating the Kings in six games, the Oilers were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights, who became the Stanley Cup champion.

Notable players

A number of former Edmonton Oilers have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario. Without a doubt, the most notable Oilers Hall of Famer was Wayne Gretzky. An incredibly talented forward, Gretzky was a child prodigy who eventually came to be recognized as the greatest hockey player in the history of the sport. Often referred to as “The Great One,” Gretzky served as the Oilers’ captain and led the team though most of its dynasty years of the 1980s. He also set an array of team and NHL records, many of which he still holds. During his nine seasons with the NHL version of the Oilers, Gretzky scored a record-setting 583 goals and racked up 1,086 assists for a total of 1,669 points. He was also a critical contributor to four of the Oilers’ five Stanley Cup championships. After his departure from the team in 1988, Gretzky continued to be the NHL’s most outstanding player, earning numerous additional accolades before his eventual retirement in 1999. Another key member of the Oilers’ championship 1980s teams was forward Mark Messier. Floating between the left wing and center positions, Messier was a force to be reckoned with during the Oilers’ dynastic years. In the twelve years he spent in Edmonton, Messier tallied 392 goals and 642 assists. He also took over as captain after Gretzky was traded. Along with Gretzky and Messier, right winger Glenn Anderson was another important Oilers during the 1980s. In his twelve years with the team, Anderson was a prolific scorer, netting 417 goals and recording 489 assists. Also important to the Oilers’ success was Jari Kurri, a Finnish right winger who spent most of his time in Edmonton as Gretzky’s linemate and scoring partner. In his ten years as an Oiler, Kurri scored 474 goals and recorded 569 assists. Arguably the foundation of the team’s 1980s dynasty, goaltender Grant Fuhr backstopped the Oilers during all of their Stanley Cup championships. In ten years with the team, the unflappable Fuhr led Edmonton to 226 wins and made more than 11,000 saves. Other Oilers Hall of Famers include Paul Coffey, Adam Oates, Jacques Plante, Chris Pronger, and Norm Ullman.

There have been other notable Edmonton Oilers players as well. Center Craig MacTavish was an Oiler from 1985 to 1994 and recorded 155 goals and 176 assists in that time. He also later returned to the team to serve as head coach in the 2000s. Center Doug Weight spent nine seasons with the Oilers between 1992 and 2001 and put up 157 goals and 420 assists in that time. Center Connor McDavid made his much-anticipated NHL debut with the Oilers in 2015 and quickly established himself as one of the game’s top players. Heading into the 2019–2020 season, McDavid had already recorded a total of 128 goals and 244 assists.

Bibliography

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“Edmonton Oilers.” Internet Hockey Database, 2024, www.hockeydb.com/stte/edmonton-oilers-5632.html. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“Edmonton Oilers.” Sports E-Cyclopedia, 2023, sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/edmonton/edoilers.html. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“Edmonton Oilers Team History.” Sports Team History, 2024, sportsteamhistory.com/edmonton-oilers. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“# 7 Edmonton Oilers.” Forbes, 2024, www.forbes.com/teams/edmonton-oilers/#4aead4981629. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Stewart, J.D.M. “Edmonton Oilers.” Canadian Encyclopedia, 20 July 2018, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/edmonton-oilers. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.