The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers are heading into the 2006-07 NHL season as the defending Western Conference Champions.
| Edmonton Oilers | |
|---|---|
| File:Edmonton Oilers.gif | |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Northwest |
| Founded | 1972 |
| History | Alberta Oilers 1972-73 Edmonton Oilers 1973 - present |
| Home arena | Rexall Place |
| City | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Team colours | Midnight Blue, Copper, Red, White, and Silver |
| Media | Rogers Sportsnet West CHED (630 AM) |
| Owner(s) | Edmonton Investors Group Limited Partnership |
| General manager | Kevin Lowe |
| Head coach | Craig MacTavish |
| Captain | Jason Smith |
| Minor league affiliates | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) Iowa Stars (AHL) Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) Wilkes-Barre Penguins (AHL) Stockton Thunder (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90 |
| Conference championships | 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90, 2005-06 |
| Division championships | 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87 |
Franchise history
The WHA years
In 1972 the Alberta Oilers joined the World Hockey Association as a founding member. The team was originally owned by Bill Hunter. Hunter had previously owned the Edmonton Oil Kings and founded what would become the Western Hockey League, but his efforts to bring professional hockey to Edmonton had been rebuffed by the NHL. Originally, the team was named the Alberta Oilers as it was planned to split their home games between Edmonton and Calgary after the Calgary Broncos folded. For various reasons, possibly financial or the possibility of allowing easier expansion of either the NHL or WHA to Calgary, the team played all of its games in Edmonton, and changed their name to reflect this the following year.
Despite mediocre results in the standings, the team proved popular with the fans, behind stars such as defenceman and team captain Al Hamilton, star goaltender Dave Dryden, and forwards Blair McDonald and Bill Flett. The team's performance would change for the better in 1978, when new owner Peter Pocklington scored one of the greatest trades in hockey history, acquiring already-aspiring superstar Wayne Gretzky as an under-age player (consequentially, his first year of WHA experience didn't make him an official 1979-80 rookie), as well as goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll, from the Indianapolis Racers for a token sum. [1] Gretzky's first and only WHA season, 1978-79, saw the Oilers shoot to the top of the WHA standings, posting a league-best 48-30-2 record. However, Edmonton's regular season success did not translate into a championship, as they fell to the rival Winnipeg Jets in the Avco World Trophy Final. Young Oilers enforcer Dave Semenko scored the last goal in WHA history late in the third period of the final game.
The Oilers joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season, with fellow WHA teams Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and the Jets. Of these four teams, only Edmonton has avoided relocation and renaming; the Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, the Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, and the Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997.
The Dynasty Years
With an incredible core of young players, including Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, and Kevin Lowe, the Edmonton Oilers became one of the greatest teams in hockey history with their domination of the NHL in the mid-to-late 1980s. Many experts consider the Oilers from that decade not only to be the best team ever in the long history of the NHL, but also one of the best sports teams ever, as evidenced by a recent Sporting News poll in February 2006 when the 1987-88 Oilers were listed as one of the top-five teams from the last 120 years. [2]
The Oilers made a name for themselves very early, making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their first NHL season (1979-80), but were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers three-games-to-none. After a five-point improvement in the 1980-81 regular season, the Oilers stunned the hockey world by sweeping the heavily-favoured Montreal Canadiens in three games. In the 1981-82 season, the Oilers became one of the league's strongest teams. Gretzky became the third NHL player to score 50 goals in 50 games, joining the New York Islanders' Mike Bossy from the previous season and Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard from 1944-45. But youthful lapses of discipline led to a first round defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. In 1983 they made it to their first Stanley Cup Final, but were swept in four games by the three-time defending champions, the New York Islanders, who had already-greats like Bossy, Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin. A year later, however, Edmonton would defeat the Islanders in five games, four-to-one, to capture their first Stanley Cup.
Edmonton repeated Cup success in 1985 against the Philadelphia Flyers. However, their bid for a third straight championship came to an end in Game Seven of the 1985-86 Smythe Division Finals against the Calgary Flames. In the third period of a 2-2 tie, rookie defenceman Steve Smith banked his breakout pass off goaltender Grant Fuhr's left skate and into the Oilers' net. The goal stood as the game-and-series-winning goal. In 1987, Edmonton returned to the Stanley Cup Final and again defeated the Flyers in a tense seven-game series, overcoming a Conn Smythe Trophy winning performance by Flyers' rookie goalie Ron Hextall.
In 1988 the Oilers made their strongest run to the Cup, losing only two playoff games, and sweeping the Boston Bruins to win their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. In doing so, the Oilers left their mark as one of the greatest teams of all-time. A unique event in Final history occurred in Game Four on May 24. With the score tied 3-3 in the second period, a power outage struck at the legendary Boston Garden, forcing cancellation of the game. Then-NHL President John Ziegler ordered the game to be re-scheduled, and, if necessary, played in Boston after the originally scheduled Game Seven in Edmonton. The Oilers would win the next game (originally scheduled as Game Five) back in Edmonton 6-3 to complete the series sweep. All player statistics accrued in the aborted Game Four in Boston are counted in the NHL record books. After the Cup-clinching game, Gretzky gathered his teammates, coaches, trainers, and others from the Oilers organization at centre ice for an impromptu team photo with the Stanley Cup, a tradition since continued by every subsequent Stanley Cup champion.
That summer, however, left a bitter taste in the mouths of Oiler fans. On August 9, 1988, Gretzky, along with popular players Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for $15 million, two rising young players (Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas), and three first-round draft picks. Kings owner Bruce McNall said some very convincing words to Oilers big boss Peter Pocklington — "Money, money, money" — which Pocklington did get, for The Great One. Carson only played two seasons in Edmonton before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings. Gelinas played five years for Edmonton, never scoring more than twenty goals. The Oilers traded the 1989 pick (Jason Miller) to New Jersey for defenceman Corey Foster, then used the '91 and '93 picks to select Martin Rucinsky and Nick Stajduhar, respectively, neither of whom were major contributors during their time in Edmonton.
The 1989 season was a troubled one, and for the first time since 1982, the Oilers were out of the playoffs in the first round, losing a seven-game series to Gretzky's Kings; the Cup was ultimately claimed by their provincial rivals, the Flames. And then, 1990 seemed set to continue the troubles for the Oilers. All-Star and future Hockey Hall of Famer, starting goaltender Grant Fuhr, was charged with possession, use, and abuse of cocaine. He would be thrown to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1991 after publicly acknowledging his problem. But the team rallied behind backup Bill Ranford, and despite finishing third in their division behind Calgary and Los Angeles, the Oilers, and Adam Graves, Gélinas and Joe Murphy, their "Kid Line" (not to be confused with the 1931-32 Leafs' Harvey "Busher" Jackson, "Gentleman Joe" Primeau, and "Big Bomber Charlie" Conacher) won their fifth and, to date, final Stanley Cup by again defeating the Bruins, this time in five games. Ranford won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff Most Valuable Player for his brilliant goaltending.
The Rebuilding Years
However, the Oilers weren't doing something very easy by now — because they simply had no choice. After the 1990 Stanley Cup, they were like squid tryng to stay alive in a regular freshwater puddle. The Gretzky trade had opened up a new reality of rapidly climbing salaries in the NHL, and small-market teams like Edmonton simply couldn't compete with salaries offered in large U.S. cities. Messier, Kurri, Fuhr, Anderson, and later Craig MacTavish all left the team in rapid succession, leaving behind an underdeveloped base of young players and unproven prospects, exposing the Oilers' poor drafting through the dynasty years. Despite appearances in the Conference Final in 1991 and 1992, the Oilers were nowhere near the powerhouse that had dominated the previous half-decade. In 1993 the Oilers missed the playoffs for the first time since they entered the league. They would not return for four years, despite the emergence of young centremen Doug Weight and Jason Arnott.
Trouble followed the team off the ice as well, as the Gainers meat-packing industry owned by Pocklington failed amidst charges of scandal and corruption. For most of the 1990s, the Oilers were desperately trying to stay alive. In 1998, the team was nearly sold to Houston interests who sought to move the team, but before the sale was finalized, and with just hours left on the deadline, the Edmonton Investors Group, a consortium of thirty-seven Edmonton-based owners, raised the funds to purchase the team, vowing to keep the Oilers in Edmonton. The Oilers received support in this endeavour from the NHL, which was deeply troubled by the loss of two Canadian teams in short order, the Winnipeg Jets and the Quebec Nordiques.
In 1997, the Oilers returned to the playoffs and emerged victorious again, defeating the Dallas Stars in an exciting seven-game series. Riding on the hot goaltending of Curtis Joseph, the Oilers completed the upset with the final goal coming on a breakaway by Todd Marchant in overtime. Another highlight of that playoff series was on April 20. Down 3-0 with just under four minutes to go in Game Three, the Oilers rallied for three goals in the final three minutes of the third period to tie the game and eventually win 4-3 in overtime on Kelly Buchberger's game-winning goal.
Though Edmonton would lose to Colorado in the next round, fans were ecstatic about the Oilers' return to the playoffs. In 1998, Joseph led the Oilers to another first round upset, this time knocking off the Avalanche in seven games. Dallas and Edmonton met again, but this time, the Stars were the victors. This was the start of one of the most unusual rivalries in hockey: between 1997 and 2003 the Oilers and Stars played each other in the playoffs six times, five of them first round matchups. The only year in which they did not meet was 2002, when neither team made the playoffs. In fact, considering the Stars' previous incarnation in Minnesota, the last time both teams made the playoffs and did not meet was in 1990. This streak was not formally ended until 2006, when the 4th-NHL seeded Stars were eliminated in the first round by the Avalanche, while, for the first time in 16 years, the 15th-seeded Oilers went to the Stanley Cup Final.
On November 22, 2003, the Oilers hosted the Heritage Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the NHL's history. The Oilers were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in front of more than fifty-five thousand fans, an NHL attendance record, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
On July 23, 2004, the team announced that its minor league affiliate, the Toronto Roadrunners would play the 2004-05 AHL season at the Oilers' home arena. The decision, an unusual one for a North American professional sports organization, was likely influenced by the expectation that the 2004-05 NHL lockout would wipe out the 2004-05 NHL season. After an unsuccessful year, the Edmonton Road Runners were suspended, and as of 2006, have not yet been revived in any form. Those plans have all but been terminated as the Oilers long-planned push to own an expansion Western Hockey League major-junior franchise were granted on June 27, 2006. That team will begin play in the 2007-08 season.
Post-lockout
The Oilers struggled with their small-market status for years as big-market teams scooped up high-priced help, but after the wiped-out 2004-05 season, the Oilers looked poised to compete again. 2004-05 NHL lockout negotiations led to a collective bargaining agreement between the NHL owners and players that included a league-wide salary cap, forcing all teams to essentially conform to a budget, as many small-market teams had been doing for years.
Although Edmonton was one of the last teams to make a big splash in the free agent market, they were able to acquire the rights to and sign former Hart and Norris Trophy winner Chris Pronger from the St. Louis Blues, as well as trade for New York Islanders forward Michael Peca, two-time winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy for best defensive forward. Although the club had to give up Mike York and Eric Brewer to the Islanders and Blues, respectively, fans now hoped the team could at least return to the playoffs, if not to the glory the franchise enjoyed during its late 1980s dynasty era.
However, the team suffered again from inconsistency during the first few months of the regular season, especially in goal and on offence. Goaltender Ty Conklin was injured during training camp, and when he returned, was unreliable in net. Nominal backup Jussi Markkanen showed flashes of brilliance, but still was not quite ready for regular NHL goaltending duty. Edmonton even tried third-string goalie Mike Morrison, called up from the East Coast Hockey League, but after a strong start, he also faded. A streaky goal-scoring production led by left-wingers Ryan Smyth and Raffi Torres had trouble putting pucks in the net at times, but Torres did produce one hat trick (three goals) on his 25th birthday, October 8, 2006 against Vancouver. Chris Pronger also struggled early on with the rule changes restricting the amount of obstruction and front-of-the-net abuse — Pronger's previous specialty — that could be performed without a penalty, while Peca simply had trouble adapting to the Oilers' system and expectations. Many called for head coach Craig MacTavish to be fired; others called for a big trade. Nothing major materialized, but by the end of December, the Oilers led the Northwest Division with a 22-18-4 record for 48 points.
However, the Oilers remained inconsistent. By the end of January, the Oilers traded for scoring defencemen Jaroslav Spacek from the Chicago Blackhawks and Dick Tarnstrom from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both defencemen, Spacek in particular, secured their shaky blue line. However, their goaltending was still in doubt, and the Oilers struggled after the Olympic break. But right before the trade deadline, the Oilers added 2004 All-Star goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild, and speedy forward Sergei Samsonov, a former rookie of the year, from the Boston Bruins. The Oilers gave up a pair of picks for Roloson, and checking centre Marty Reasoner and prospect Yan Stastny (previously acquired from the Bruins) for the Samsonov.
The new acquisitions paid off, and Edmonton finished the regular season with 95 points, clinching the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference over the Vancouver Canucks. Oiler youngsters Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, and Jarret Stoll led the way in scoring, with break-out seasons of 77, 73, and 68 points, respectively. Smyth finished with 36 goals and 66 points, the second best season of his career. Smyth led the team in goal-scoring, with Raffi Torres next on the list at 27.
2006 Playoff Run
In the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers played the Presidents' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings. Though not given much of a chance by experts around the league, the Oilers pulled off a six-game upset. It was the team's first playoff series win since 1998. Edmonton would meet the San Jose Sharks in the Conference Semifinal. After trailing the series two-games-to-none, the Oilers won the next four, vaulting them into Conference Final. In doing so, the Oilers became the first eighth-seeded team to reach a Conference Finals since the NHL changed the playoff format in 1994. There the Oilers would beat the sixth-seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games, claiming the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for a record seventh time.
Edmonton faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals (marking the first time two former WHA teams met in Stanley Cup play). Oilers starting goalie Dwayne Roloson was hurt and put out of action for the rest of the playoffs after a collision when Oil blue-liner Marc-Andre Bergeron knocked 'Canes centre Andrew Ladd into him in Game One. After trailing the series 2-0 and 3-1, the Oilers forced a seventh game while riding backup Jussi Markkanen. They could not complete the comeback, though, as the Hurricanes won the final game 3-1.
2006 off-season
Four days after their heartbreaking loss to the Hurricanes, Chris Pronger surprised Oiler fans when he requested a trade request on June 23, citing personal reasons. On July 3, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for sniper Joffrey Lupul, top defensive prospect Ladislav Smid, Anaheim's first round draft pick in 2007, Anaheim's second in 2008, and a conditional first. In addition, many of the Oilers' 2005-06 acquisitions signed for contracts elsewhere: Jaroslav Spacek went to the Buffalo Sabres on July 5, Sergei Samsonov signed with the Montreal Canadiens, and Michael Peca signed with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs on July 18. In addition, enforcer and fan favourite Georges Laraque, despite offering the Oilers a substantial pay cut in exchange for a no-trade clause, wound up signing with the Phoenix Coyotes, and goaltender Ty Conklin, seeking to rebuild his reputation, signed a two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets the following day.
Despite these losses, many of the Oilers' core players were re-signed. Playoff heroes Fernando Pisani and Dwayne Roloson signed as unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on the first day of eligibility, July 1. Shawn Horcoff, Jarret Stoll, and Ales Hemsky filed for arbitration as restricted free agents, but all settled for multi-year deals before their hearings came up; Hemsky, in particular, signed for six years and $24.6 million. The Oilers also brought back centre Marty Reasoner, whom they had traded for Samsonov in March, prospect Tom Gilbert from the University of Wisconsin, defenceman Daniel Tjarnqvist from the Minnesota Wild, and defenceman Jan Hejda from Mytishchi Khimik of the Russian Super League, whose rights were acquired from the Sabres for a seventh-round pick. On August 11, UFA forward Petr Sykora and the Oilers agreed on a one-year contract. Just over a month later, on September 12, Joffrey Lupul and the Oilers agreed to a three-year contract worth $6.935 million. [3]
Jerseys
The original 1972 design featured the traditional colours of blue and orange, but reversed from their more familiar appearance in later seasons, orange being the dominant colour and blue used for the trimming. For the first few games of the 1972 season, player names weren't displayed on the uniform; rather the word 'ALBERTA' was written in that space. Once it became clear, however, that the team would play exclusively in Edmonton, the player names made their appearance. These jerseys also featured the player numbers high on the shoulders, rather than on the upper sleeve.
In 1975-1976 the jersey was changed to the more familiar blue base with orange trim, but with some minor differences. The logo that appeared on programs and promotional material remained the same, however the logo that appeared on the home jersey had a white oil drop, on a dark orange field, with the team name written in deep blue. The away jersey featured the orange-printed logo that many mistakenly attribute to the entire history of the WHA Oilers. In every other facet, though, the jerseys were identical to the dynasty-era form that is known throughout the hockey world.
When the team jumped to the NHL in 1979, the alternate logos were discarded and the jersey took its most famous form, though the logo did appear slightly different on a few vintages of the jersey (1979, 1986, 1990). The essential design remained untouched until 1996, when the blue and orange were replaced by midnight blue and copper. Other changes made to the jersey at that point were the removal of the orange shoulder bar and cuffs from the away jersey, and the addition of the "Rigger" alternate logo to the end of the shoulder bar on the home jersey, and the equivalent position on the road jersey. A year later, the shoulder bars were removed from the home jersey as well, giving the Oilers' sweater its modern look.
In 2001, the introduction of the third jersey featuring a logo designed by Spawn creator and Oilers co-owner, Todd McFarlane, and Brent Ashe, was a controversial move, given the negative reactions to many other teams' designs. While there remains some disdain towards both the "rigger" logo and McFarlane's "Blades" logo – meant to symbolize elements of the Oilers' past – the navy, silver, and white design is generally considered a success, though there are no plans for it to become the basis for the team's primary jerseys, as has been done previously by the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. The jersey became a a big hit with the fans and became the best selling third jersey in NHL History. McFarlane spoke about the jersey to the Edmonton Journal on the day it was unveiled, saying, "We wanted it to be a hockey jersey but also a good wear if you were just walking down the street." The logo was designed to represent what the Oilers were all about. "Sharp, blade-like shapes signify the blades of a hockey skate... the five rivets around the oil drop represents the five Stanley Cups won by the Oilers... inner and outer gear shapes signify force and reinforce the concept of teamwork and industriousness." McFarlane also mentioned "The oil drop is derived from the original logo. It's turned on its side to suggest speed in the new logo and it has been given a highlight to emphasize the difference from the original."
Season-by-season record
Alberta/Edmonton Oilers (WHA, 1972-79)
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Records as of September 12, 2006. [4] [5]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1972-73 | 78 | 37 | 35 | 6 | 80 | 259 | 250 | 843 | 4th, West | Did not qualify |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 44 | 32 | 2 | 90 | 332 | 275 | 1273 | 3rd, West | Lost Preliminary Round |
| 1974-75 | 78 | 36 | 38 | 4 | 76 | 279 | 279 | 896 | 5th, Canadian | Did not qualify |
| 1975-76 | 81 | 27 | 49 | 5 | 59 | 268 | 345 | 991 | 4th, Canadian | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1976-77 | 81 | 34 | 43 | 4 | 72 | 243 | 304 | 1319 | 4th, West | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1977-78 | 80 | 38 | 39 | 3 | 79 | 309 | 307 | 1296 | 5th, WHA | Lost Preliminary Round |
| 1978-79 | 80 | 48 | 30 | 2 | 98 | 340 | 266 | 1220 | 1st, WHA | Lost Avco World Trophy Final |
| Totals | 556 | 264 | 266 | 26 | 554 | 2030 | 2026 | 7838 | — | — |
Edmonton Oilers (NHL, 1979-present)
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Records as of September 12, 2006. [6]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 28 | 39 | 13 | — | 69 | 301 | 322 | 1528 | 4th, Smythe | Lost Preliminary Round |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 29 | 35 | 16 | — | 74 | 328 | 327 | 1544 | 4th, Smythe | Lost Quarterfinal |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 48 | 17 | 15 | — | 111 | 417 | 295 | 1473 | 1st, Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 47 | 21 | 12 | — | 106 | 424 | 315 | 1771 | 1st, Smythe | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 57 | 18 | 5 | — | 119 | 446 | 314 | 1577 | 1st, Smythe | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 49 | 20 | 11 | — | 109 | 401 | 298 | 1567 | 1st, Smythe | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 56 | 17 | 7 | — | 119 | 426 | 310 | 1928 | 1st, Smythe | Lost Division Final |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 50 | 24 | 6 | — | 106 | 372 | 284 | 1721 | 1st, Smythe | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 44 | 25 | 11 | — | 99 | 363 | 288 | 2173 | 2nd, Smythe | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 38 | 34 | 8 | — | 84 | 325 | 306 | 1931 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 38 | 28 | 14 | — | 90 | 315 | 283 | 2046 | 2nd, Smythe | Won Stanley Cup |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | — | 80 | 272 | 272 | 1823 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost Conference Final |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 36 | 34 | 10 | — | 82 | 295 | 297 | 1907 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost Conference Final |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 26 | 50 | 8 | — | 60 | 242 | 337 | 2027 | 5th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 25 | 45 | 14 | — | 64 | 261 | 305 | 1858 | 6th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 1994-951 | 48 | 17 | 27 | 4 | — | 38 | 136 | 183 | 1183 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 30 | 44 | 8 | — | 68 | 240 | 304 | 1709 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 36 | 37 | 9 | — | 81 | 252 | 247 | 1368 | 3rd, Pacific | Lost Conference Semifinal |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | — | 80 | 215 | 224 | 1690 | 3rd, Pacific | Lost Conference Semifinal |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 33 | 37 | 12 | — | 78 | 230 | 226 | 1373 | 2nd, Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 32 | 26 | 16 | 8 | 88 | 226 | 212 | 1344 | 2nd, Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 39 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 93 | 243 | 222 | 1287 | 2nd, Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 38 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 92 | 205 | 182 | 1267 | 3rd, Northwest | Did not qualify |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 36 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 92 | 231 | 230 | 1203 | 4th, Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 36 | 29 | 12 | 5 | 89 | 221 | 208 | 1220 | 4th, Northwest | Did not qualify |
| 2004-052 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005-063 | 82 | 41 | 28 | — | 13 | 95 | 256 | 251 | 1178 | 3rd, Northwest | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| Totals | 2076 | 981 | 791 | 262 | 42 | 2266 | 7643 | 7042 | 41158 | — | — |
- 1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
- 2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
- 3 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games tied after regulation will be decided in a shootout; SOL (Shootout losses) will be recorded as OTL in the standings.
Notable players
Current roster
| # | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 
|
Jussi Markkanen | L | 2004 | Imatra, Finland |
| 35 | 
|
Dwayne Roloson | L | 2006 | Simcoe, Ontario |
| # | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Matt Greene | R | 2002 | Grand Ledge, Michigan |
| 5 | 
|
Ladislav Smid | L | 2006 | Frýdlant v Čechách, Czechoslovakia |
| 21 |
|
Jason Smith - C | R | 1999 | Calgary, Alberta |
| 24 |
|
Steve Staios | R | 2001 | Hamilton, Ontario |
| 25 |
|
Jan Hejda | L | 2006 | Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| 29 | 
|
Daniel Tjarnqvist | L | 2006 | Umea, Sweden |
| 36 |
|
Mathieu Roy | R | 2003 | Saint-Georges, Quebec |
| 40 |
|
Danny Syvret | L | 2005 | Millgrove, Ontario |
| 47 |
|
Marc-Andre Bergeron | L | 2001 | Saint-Louis-de-France, Quebec |
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 
|
Alexei Mikhnov | LW | L | 2000 | Kiev, Ukraine |
| 10 |
|
Shawn Horcoff | C | L | 1998 | Trail, British Columbia |
| 14 |
|
Raffi Torres | LW | L | 2003 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 15 |
|
Joffrey Lupul | RW | R | 2006 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 16 |
|
Jarret Stoll | C | R | 2002 | Melville, Saskatchewan |
| 18 |
|
Ethan Moreau - A | LW | L | 1999 | Huntsville, Ontario |
| 19 |
|
Marty Reasoner | C | L | 2006 | Honeoye Falls, New York |
| 22 |
|
Kyle Brodziak | C | R | 2003 | St. Paul, Alberta |
| 26 |
|
Brad Winchester | LW | L | 2000 | Madison, Wisconsin |
| 34 |
|
Fernando Pisani | RW | L | 1996 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 41 |
|
Jean-Francois Jacques | LW | L | 2003 | Terrebonne, Quebec |
| 45 |
|
Toby Petersen | C | L | 2004 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 71 |
|
Petr Sykora | RW | L | 2006 | Plzen, Czechoslovakia |
| 78 |
|
Marc-Antoine Pouliot | C | R | 2003 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| 83 |
|
Ales Hemsky | RW | R | 2001 | Pardubice, Czechoslovakia |
| 94 |
|
Ryan Smyth - A | LW | L | 1994 | Banff, Alberta |
Team captains
Note: This list includes Oiler captains from both the NHL and WHA.
- Al Hamilton, 1972-76
- Glen Sather, 1976-77
- Paul Shmyr, 1977-79
- Ron Chipperfield, 1979-80
- Blair MacDonald, 1980-81
- Lee Fogolin, 1981-83
- Wayne Gretzky, 1983-88
- Mark Messier, 1988-91
- Kevin Lowe, 1991-92
- Craig MacTavish, 1992-94
- Shayne Corson, 1995
- Kelly Buchberger, 1995-99
- Doug Weight, 1999-2001
- Jason Smith, 2001 - present
- Players
- Wayne Gretzky, C, 1978-1988, inducted 1999
- Jari Kurri, RW, 1980-1990, inducted 2001
- Grant Fuhr, G, 1981-1991, inducted 2003
- Paul Coffey, D, 1980-1987, inducted 2004
- Builders
- Glen Sather, Head coach/GM, 1977-2000, inducted 1997
- Broadcasters
- Rod Phillips, 1973 - present, inducted 2003
Retired numbers
- 3 Al Hamilton, D, 1972-80, number retired in 1980 (jersey ceremony April 4, 2001)
- 7 Paul Coffey, D, 1980-87, number retired October 18, 2005
- 17 Jari Kurri, RW, 1980-90, number retired October 6, 2001
- 31 Grant Fuhr, G, 1981-91, number retired October 9, 2003
- 99 Wayne Gretzky, C, 1978-88, number retired October 1, 1999
First-round draft picks
Note: This list does not include selections from the WHA.
- 1979: Kevin Lowe (21st overall)
- 1980: Paul Coffey (6th overall)
- 1981: Grant Fuhr (8th overall)
- 1982: Jim Playfair (20th overall)
- 1983: Jeff Beukeboom (19th overall)
- 1984: Selmar Odelein (21st overall)
- 1985: Scott Metcalfe (20th overall)
- 1986: Kim Issel (21st overall)
- 1987: Pete Soberlak (21st overall)
- 1988: Francois Leroux (19th overall)
- 1989: Jason Soules (15th overall)
- 1990: Scott Allison (17th overall)
- 1991: Tyler Wright (12th overall) & Martin Rucinsky (20th overall)
- 1992: Joe Hulbig (13th overall)
- 1993: Jason Arnott (7th overall) & Nick Stajduhar (16th overall)
- 1994: Jason Bonsignore (4th overall) & Ryan Smyth (6th overall)
- 1995: Steve Kelly (6th overall)
- 1996: Boyd Devereaux (6th overall) & Matthieu Descoteaux (19th overall)
- 1997: Michel Riesen (14th overall)
- 1998: Michael Henrich (13th overall)
- 1999: Jani Rita (13th overall)
- 2000: Alexei Mikhnov (17th overall)
- 2001: Ales Hemsky (13th overall)
- 2002: Jesse Niinimaki (15th overall)
- 2003: Marc-Antoine Pouliot (22nd overall)
- 2004: Devan Dubnyk (14th overall) & Rob Schremp (25th overall)
- 2005: Andrew Cogliano (25th overall)
- 2006: None
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Oilers player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Wayne Gretzky | C | 696 | 583 | 1086 | 1669 | 2.40 |
| Jari Kurri | RW | 754 | 474 | 569 | 1043 | 1.38 |
| Mark Messier | C | 851 | 392 | 642 | 1034 | 1.22 |
| Glenn Anderson | RW | 845 | 417 | 489 | 906 | 1.07 |
| Paul Coffey | D | 532 | 209 | 460 | 669 | 1.26 |
| Doug Weight | C | 588 | 157 | 420 | 577 | .98 |
| Ryan Smyth* | LW | 717 | 234 | 262 | 496 | .69 |
| Esa Tikkanen | LW | 490 | 178 | 258 | 436 | .89 |
| Kevin Lowe | D | 1037 | 74 | 309 | 383 | .37 |
| Charlie Huddy | D | 694 | 61 | 287 | 368 | .53 |
NHL awards and trophies
NHL League Championships*
* prior to creation of the Presidents' Trophy in 1985-86
Franchise individual records
- WHA (1972-79)
- Most Games, career: Al Hamilton, 456
- Most Goals, career: Rusty Patenaude, 126
- Most Assists, career: Al Hamilton, 258
- Most Points, career: Al Hamilton, 311
- Most Penalty Minutes, career: Doug Barrie, 620
- Most Wins, career: Dave Dryden, 112
- Most Shutouts, career: Dave Dryden, 8
- NHL (1979-present)
- Most Goals in a season: Wayne Gretzky, 92 (1981-82)
- Most Assists in a season: Wayne Gretzky, 163 (1985-86)
- Most Points in a season: Wayne Gretzky, 215 (1985-86)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Steve Smith, 286 (1987-88)
- Most Points in a season, defenseman: Paul Coffey, 138 (1985-86)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Jari Kurri, 75 (1980-81)
- Most Wins in a season: Grant Fuhr, 40 (1987-88)
- Most Shutouts in a season: Curtis Joseph; Tommy Salo, 8 (1997-98; 2000-01)
Miscellaneous
Other notable people
- Peter Pocklington was the owner of the Oilers from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s. Pocklington had a number of business deals that went sour and was responsible for "the trade" of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
- Joey Moss has the official title of Dressing Room Attendant. Moss was born with Down Syndrome and was asked by Wayne Gretzky in the early 1980's to come work for the Oilers. Every year an intra-squad game called the "Joey Moss Cup" is held in early September. In 2003, Moss was honoured by the NHL Alumni Association with its “Seventh Man Award”, honouring those for their dedication and service behind the scenes[7]
- Todd McFarlane, artist and creator of the comic book Spawn, is a part-owner of the franchise. In late 2001, McFarlane revealed a new logo for the Edmonton Oilers. This logo is featured on the team's Third Jersey. His company McFarlane Toys also makes action figures for the NHL.
References
- ^ CBC.ca, Number 99 goes to Edmonton
- ^ SportingNews.com, What was the greatest pro team of the last 120 years?
- ^ TSN.ca, Oilers sign Lupul to three-year deal
- ^ Hockeydb.com, Alberta Oilers season statistics and records
- ^ Hockeydb.com, Edmonton Oilers (WHA) season statistics and records
- ^ Hockeydb.com, Edmonton Oilers (NHL) season statistics and records
- ^ Peter Goldring.com, Joey Moss Sports Hero
See also
- List of Edmonton Oilers players
- Head coaches of the Edmonton Oilers
- Edmonton Oilers Records
- Battle of Alberta
- World Hockey Association
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- List of ice hockey teams in Alberta