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The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice Hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta . They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). FACTS :Founded: 1972 , as member of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979 . :Formerly known as: Alberta Oilers (1972-1973) :Arena: Rexall Place ::Former Arena Names: Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton Coliseum, Skyreach Centre :::Former Home Arena: Edmonton Gardens :Uniform Colours: Copper, White and Midnight Blue :Logo Design: A circle surrounding the word "OILERS", a copper-coloured drop of oil at the top :''') with a navy blue oil drop centred on the gear and three blades coming out the back :''', 1985 , 1987 , 1988 , 1990 :Main Rivals: Calgary Flames , Dallas Stars :Main programming networks: Television: CBC Sports (only for Saturday Night games in regular season), Rogers Sportsnet West, NHL on TSN. Radio: 630CHEDam FRANCHISE HISTORY The WHA years to 1996 ]] 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 reasons 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. The team was not one of the league's more successful on the ice, accumulating a mediocre record until the final WHA season of 1978-79 , where, led by future superstar Wayne Gretzky , the Oilers gained a 48-30-2 mark to lead the league in the regular season, but fell to the Winnipeg Jets in the finals. However, 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 . In 1978 , new owner Peter Pocklington scored one of the greatest trades in hockey history, acquiring already-aspiring superstar Gretzky from the Indianapolis Racers for a token sum. Gretzky played only a single season in the WHA before the league folded, and Edmonton joined the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets , Hartford Whalers , and Quebec Nordiques . Of these four teams, only Edmonton has avoided relocation and renaming. Career leaders (WHA, 1972-1979)
Jersey history The original 1972 design featured the traditional colors of blue and orange, but reversed from their more familiar appearance in later seasons, orange being the dominant color 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 , 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 . The introduction of the Third Jersey , with a logo designed by '' Spawn '' creator Todd McFarlane , in 2001 was a controversial move, particularly given how ghastly so many other teams' designs turned out. 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 it's unlikely it will ever become the basis for the team's primary jerseys as it has in Dallas and Los Angeles . The NHL years With an incredible core of young players, including Wayne Gretzky , Mark Messier , Jari Kurri , Glenn Anderson , Grant Fuhr , and Kevin Lowe , the Edmonton Oilers became one of the greatest dynasties in hockey history with their domination of the NHL in the 1980s. The Oilers made a name for themselves very early, making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in only their first season. Although they were swept in three games by the Philadelphia Flyers and their second regular season gave them mediocre results in the standings, the Oilers scored a stunning upset in the first round of the 1981 playoffs, defeating the strongly-favoured Montreal Canadiens three games to none, the Oilers making a case that they needed swift respect. In the 1981-82 season, the Oilers became the league's strongest team in the regular season, but youthful lapses of discipline led to their losing the first playoff round. In 1983 they made it to their first-ever Stanley Cup finals, but were swept in four games by the three-time defending champions, the New York Islanders . A year later, however, Edmonton defeated the Islanders in five games (four to one) to claim their first Stanley Cup. Edmonton repeated Cup success in 1985 against the Philadelphia Flyers , but were knocked out of the playoffs in 1986 when Steve Smith scored on his own net in the seventh game of the Campbell Conference finals against the rival Calgary Flames . In 1987 Edmonton returned to the finals to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in a tense seven-game series. In 1988 the Oilers made their strongest-ever run to the Cup, losing only 2 games of 18 and sweeping the Boston Bruins in the final to claim their fourth trophy in five years. That summer however was extremely bittersweet for the Edmonton fans, as Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for $15 million and two players. The 1989 season was a troubled one because of this trade, and for the first time since 1982, the Oilers were out of the playoffs in the first round, losing a seven-game series to the Kings. 1990 seemed set to continue the troubles for the Oilers, especially when All-Star and future Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr was charged with possession and use of cocaine. But the team rallied behind new goalie Bill Ranford , and despite finishing third in their division, behind Calgary and Los Angeles, the Oilers made it all the way for the fifth and (to date) final time, once again defeating the Boston Bruins, this time in five games. Ranford won the playoff MVP that year for his brilliant goaltending. The writing was on the wall however. 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, and Anderson all left the team in rapid succession, leaving behind an underdeveloped base of young players and unproven prospects. Despite appearances in the Conference Finals 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 their inaugural season. 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 1999 a consortium of 37 owners finally purchased the team, vowing to keep the team in Edmonton. The Oilers have received support in this endeavour from the NHL , which was deeply troubled by the loss of two Canadian teams in short order. In 1997 the Oilers returned to the Stanley Cup playoffs and emerged victorious again, defeating the Dallas Stars in a seven-game series considered to be one of the most exciting of all time. 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 of the highlights of that playoff series occurred on April 20th. Down 3-0 with just under 4 minutes to go in game #3 of their western conference quarter final match-up against the Dallas Stars , the Edmonton 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 and 2003 the Oilers and Stars have 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 2004 the streak came to an official end, when Edmonton failed to qualify for the playoff round, while Dallas went on to play the Colorado Avalanche . On November 22 , 2003 , the Oilers hosted the Heritage Classic , the first outdoor hockey game in the NHL's history. The Edmonton 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, now known as Rexall Place . The decision, an unusual one for a North America n Professional Sport s organisation, 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 at the end of 2004-05. The Oilers have struggled with their small-market status for years as big-market teams scooped up high-priced help. But following the wiped-out 2004-05 NHL season, the Oilers appear poised to compete again. With a league-wide salary cap in place, all teams are placed on a much more equal financial footing, allowing the Oilers to sign two important stars - former league MVP Chris Pronger , and New York Islanders forward Michael Peca - giving fans hope that the team may return to the playoffs, if not to their former glory. So far those hopes have panned out: the Oilers have recovered from a streaky, inconsistent start to clinch a playoff berth in April. The additions of goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild and forward Sergei Samsonov from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline were designed to shore up a team that had begun to suffer again from inconsistency, especially in goal and on offense. Jussi Markkanen was maddeningly inconsistent, and highly-touted prospect Ty Conklin showed flashes of brilliance, but still showed he was a little ways away from regular NHL action. Edmonton was so desperate that they even tried journeyman goalie Mike Morrison . He proved just as inconsistent and ineffective as Conklin and Markkanen. A streaky offense led by captain Ryan Smyth had trouble putting goals in the net some nights, and others it looked like the puck was radio-controlled. Adding Samsonov gave the Oilers more punch and more options rather than Jaroslav Spacek and Smyth. While the team somewhat limped into the position, they were able to clinch a playoff spot on April 13 , in their 81st game, by defeating the Anaheim Mighty Ducks , while the San Jose Sharks beat the ninth-place Vancouver Canucks , mathematically eliminating the Canucks and securing the Oilers of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Oilers played the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the 2005/2006 NHL Playoffs , and won the series 4 games to 2 with an exhilirating 4-3 score in game 6 to close out the series. It was their first playoff win since 1998, and they also became only the 7th 8 seed ever to beat a 1 seed in the playoffs. They will now move on to the second round to face an opponent who is yet to be determined. SEASON-BY-SEASON RECORD Alberta/Edmonton Oilers (WHA 1972-79) Edmonton Oilers (NHL 1979-present) :1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL Lockout . :2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL Lockout . NOTABLE PLAYERS Current squad ''As of April 16 , 2006 '' {Link without Title} Hall Of Famers
Team captains ''Note: This list includes the ( NHL ) and ( WHA )''
Retired numbers
Franchise scoring leaders These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Oilers in the NHL. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
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