Opportunity Wasted

With their current roster being as underwhelming as it is, the Edmonton Oilers were never going to be major players during this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. However, for an organization that is going to have to do a ton of heavy lifting over the summer, yesterday was a perfect opportunity to get a head start on things. Unfortunately, interim general manager Keith Gretzky and the rest of the organization’s higher-ups saw it differently.

Don't Look At The Old Boys Club

To suggest the past thirteen years have been rough on the Edmonton Oilers organization is about as big of an understatement as one could make. Their record over said time period speaks for itself and has directly led to certain “narratives” surrounding the team on an on0going basis. Most notably, the perception of the “Old Boys Club” running the show but that simply hasn’t been the case since the summer of 2015. 

Oilers History: The Value Of Jimmy Carson

Regardless of the sport, being traded for an all-time great is never an easy thing for the player going in the other direction. With that said, being the guy who the Edmonton Oilers got in return for Wayne Gretzky is an altogether different beast. This was the hand Jimmy Carson was dealt during the summer of 1988.

Remember It Like It Happened Yesterday

It was the summer of 1988, I was in the midst of enjoying my summer holidays and playing sports with my friends on a daily basis. Be it soccer, baseball, tennis, football or a game of summer street hockey, we were all out and about and enjoying our time away from the classroom. Back then, it was a near impossible task to get me back into the house during the summer, never mind not leaving it all. However, that changed on August 9th…the day the Edmonton Oilers traded/sold Wayne Gretzky.

Oilers History: Captain Lee

As we all saw during this summer’s NHL Expansion Draft, there is no guarantee a club will net a player or players who are likely to make a meaningful impact on the franchise. Though we will have to wait and see how things play out for the Vegas Golden Knights, history tells us the Edmonton Oilers picked up such a player back in 1979, when they used their second pick to select defenceman Lee Fogolin from the Buffalo Sabres.

RIP Dave Semenko

For a certain vintage of Edmonton Oilers fan, the name Dave Semenko has and always will hold a special place in their hearts.  With that said, no one held the former second-round pick in higher regard than the men who played with him during his time in the Alberta capital. Not surprisingly, all of Oil Country was taken aback by Thursday morning’s stunning announcement of his sudden passing, after he lost his battle with cancer at the age of 59.

Oilers History: The Rat Years

After the Edmonton Oilers suffered a shocking first-round loss to the Los Angeles Kings during the 1982 playoffs, it was clear the team was missing something. The need for that “pain-in-the-ass” player who would not only willingly get his nose dirty but also be able to contribute on the score sheet was obvious. Before the 1982 -83 campaign got under way, the Oilers were able to acquire just that type of player in Ken Linseman.

Century Mark Still In Reach

Following his two-point effort in last night’s 4-3 Edmonton Oilers victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Connor McDavid saw his league-leading point total rise to 74. He currently sits four points in front of Patrick Kane, five clear of Sidney Crosby and has built a seven-point bulge between himself and the duo of Brent Burns and Brad Marchand. With five weeks left to go in the season, the scoring race is by no means a done deal but there is another pressing question that needs answering.

Oilers History: The Paul Coffey Years

Unless you were fortunate enough to be around to witness Paul Coffey play during his prime, it is unlikely you can comprehend how important he was to the success of the Edmonton Oilers. Anyone can look at his stat line and be impressed by the eye-popping totals. However, those numbers do not tell us just how integral his role was in helping those teams find their identity and become arguably the greatest team in NHL history.

The California Golden Seals

It has been 40-plus years since the California Golden Seals played their final game in the National Hockey League. In the minds of most young fans, they are nothing more than a footnote in history but for some, they still hold a special place in their hearts. Near the top of said list is a Los Angeles-based television producer by the name of Mark Greczmiel.

Oilers History: All-Star Memories

Today will mark another first of sorts for Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. A broken collarbone forced the 2015 first overall pick from taking part in his first NHL All-Star Game during his rookie campaign but that will change this afternoon in Los Angeles. As the league’s leading scorer and most dynamic player in the game today, there is a chance the 20-year old phenom could end up playing a starring role in the 62nd mid-season classic. As a precursor to what may well end up being a moment to remember for Oilers fans everywhere, we give you the Top Three Moments in Edmonton Oilers All-Star Game history.

Oilers History: Wayne Gretzky and the 1981-82 Season

With the final NHL game to ever be played at Rexall Place now in the books, or more fittingly Northlands Coliseum for us old-timers, it is next to impossible for any long-time fan of the Edmonton Oilers to not sit back and reminisce. From a team standpoint, the five Stanley Cup championships are obviously on a level all their own but the same can be said about the season Wayne Gretzky put together back in 1981-82. After taking a couple of seasons to “find his stride” at the NHL level, in which he posted a ridiculous 106 goals and 301 points in 159 games, No. 99 started to kick things into gear during his third year in the league.

Forgiving No. 44

Despite the 2015-16 season not playing out in the fashion they had hoped, fans of the Edmonton Oilers have always had next week’s home-ice finale circled on their calendars. As we all know, Wednesday’s tilt with the Vancouver Canucks will be the last NHL game to be played at Rexall Place and not surprisingly, it is a pretty big deal in this neck of the woods. While there will be a ton of alumni on hand for the festivities, it is a group which will likely not include one of the best players to have ever worn an Oilers uniform in Hall of Fame defenceman Chris Pronger. 

Impressive But Still Not Enough

In this day in age, it is rare for teams in any of the major North American sports to string together multiple titles over an extended period time. Not surprisingly, when it actually occurs, many find it difficult to not start throwing around the word “dynasty”. In a league which has had its share of memorable reigns over its storied history, what the Chicago Blackhawks have done is simply not enough to elevate them to the status of those wonderful sides of yesteryear.

McDavid and the 2015-16 NHL Scoring Race

While he may not yet be a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid has already taken Oilers Nation by storm. Ever since this organization had the good fortune of winning the NHL Draft Lottery, it has become almost impossible to find a fan of the Orange and Blue who wants to focus on anything but the future when it comes to their beloved hockey team.

A Night To Remember

On a night in which the Edmonton Oilers managed to not only back their way into 28th place in the NHL’s overall standings but also see Taylor Hall become the first Oilers player to register an 80 point campaign since former captain Doug Weight posted ninety back in 2000-01, all that really mattered was the guy wearing #94 in Orange and Blue.

Oilers History: Gretzky Trade marked the end of an era in Edmonton and the NHL

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the day the Edmonton Oilers decided to trade Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. To this day, most refer to it as a sale as opposed to trade but in the end, the distinction really doesn't matter. Regardless of how or why, trading away the greatest player in the history of team sports, signalled the end of the line for one of the finest groups of players to have ever been assembled.

Oilers History: 1988 Stanley Cup Final - Edmonton vs Boston (Game Two)

Despite playing far from their best hockey during Game One of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers still found a way to jump out to an early 1-0 series lead over the Boston Bruins. While the B’s were coming off an emotional seven game series win over the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton had lost just two games through the the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Oilers History: 1988 Stanley Cup Final - Edmonton vs Boston (Game One)

Heading into the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there were those in the hockey world who felt the Edmonton Oilers had met their match. They were no longer the automatic favourite in the minds of many and for the first time in seven years, the Oilers did not win the Smythe Division crown. That honour now belonged to their provincial rival, the Calgary Flames.

Nugent-Hopkins appears ready to make the jump and lead the Oilers in scoring

There were many who felt Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was nowhere near ready for prime time heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. After putting together a fifty-two point rookie season and instantly becoming one of the league's top power play performers, the Edmonton Oilers talented centre had more than silenced his critics. Now the question becomes, what can the Nuge do for an encore?