ðHgeocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/1358/history.htmlgeocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/1358/history.htmlelayedxJHÔJÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÈ ²ÃŠ/OKtext/html UhŠ/ÿÿÿÿb‰.HSat, 30 Oct 1999 21:57:02 GMT Mozilla/4.5 (compatible; HTTrack 3.0x; Windows 98)en, *JHÔJŠ/---History of the Edmonton Oilers---
The History of The Edmonton Oilers


History can also be found in ualbertas Oilers page


Oilers history can be traced back to the WHA

1973-74

The Alberta Oilers finished fourth in the Western Division with
a record of 38-37-3/79pts.


1973-74
The team changes from the Alberta to Edmonton Oilers. They
finish third in the Western Division with the same record as the
year before, 38-37-3/79pts.


1974-75
The WHA is divided up into three divisions. The Oilers are
placed in the newly formed Canadian Division. The team
finishes fifth (last) in the division with a record of
36-38-4/76pts. By this time there are 38 major league pro
teams between the NHL and WHA and owners are losing vast
amounts of money as the war for top quality player heats up.


1975-76
The Oilers finish fourth in the Canadian Division with a record
of 27- 49-5/59pts.


1976-77

The WHA goes back to the two division concept and the
Oilers are back in the Western Division where they finish with
a record of 34-43- 4/72pts.


1977-98

The NHL and WHA were both in big trouble finacially, but the
WHA was worse off. Because of lost teams, the association
had to drop the divisions and go to an overall standing. A
touring Czechoslovakia National Team and a team of Soviet
All-Stars played against WHA teams that season and the
results counted in the standings. During this the Oilers finished
fifth overall with a record of 38-39-3/79pts. During this time,
talks were starting to heat up between the WHA and the
NHL.


1978-79
The WHA's last season. By the end of the season the team
was down to only six teams. This season an important one for
more than one reason. A Vancouver businessman, working on
behalf of the trouble Indianapolis Racers, signed a skinny
17-year old hockey player from Ontario to a personal service
contract to play for the Racers. Wayne Gretzky became a
member of the Indianapolis Racers. The team was in trouble, however,
and they wanted to sell Gretzky's contract in order to get some
cash relief. Two teams were interested, the Winnipeg Jets and
Edmonton Oilers.

Gretzky boarded a plane in Indianapolis, and didn't know where he was going. A deal was reached while the plane was in the air and Gretzky went to Edmonton. A side note...that same day was a transaction.."Indianapolis signs Mark Messier to an 11 game trial"...how ironic that these two superstars both started their proffesional carrer the same day.

With Gretzky's help, the Oilers, never a powerhouse in the WHA, had their best season ever. Gretzky was third in league scoring and was the first Oiler to ever place among the top ten scorers in the association. The Oilers themselves finished first overall with a record of 48-30-2/98pts.

The Oilers made it to their first Avco Cup final, but were beaten by the most dominant team in WHA history, the Winnipeg Jets who captured their third Avco Cup, and the last one in WHA history.


In the off season a deal was struck between the WHA and the NHL. A merger, of sorts, would take place. The WHA would and all of its teams would fold. The NHL would award expansion franchises to four WHA cities. Expansion teams with the same names, uniforms, front office staff, and some players. The league accepted for play during the 1979-80 season the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford (formerly New England) Whalers and the Edmonton Oilers.

Under terms of the agreement, the four teams were allowed to keep one goalie and two skaters from their WHA line-ups, the rest of the players would be sent to the NHL teams which drafted them. Players not drafted would go back into the entry draft.

The Oilers made special arrangments to allow them to keep Gretzky, as well as the three players they were allowed to keep.

The four WHA teams then took place in an expansion draft in which each of the other NHL teams gave up four players and the teams also took part in the entry draft. The Oilers first every NHL draft pick was Kevin Lowe (21st overall) from the Quebec Remparts.

Besides Gretzky, the Oilers protected Bengt Gustafsson, Ed Mio and Dave Dryden. The teams expansion draft picks were: Pete LoPresti (Minnesota), Doug Favell (Colorado), Cam Connor (Montreal), Lee Fogolin (Buffalo), Pat Price (NY Islanders), Colin Campbell (Pittsburgh), Larry Brown (Los Angeles), Ron Areshenkoff (Buffalo), Inge Hammarstrom (St. Louis), John Gould (Atlanta), Doug Hicks (Chicago), Tom Edur (Pittsburgh), Wayne Bianchin (Pittsburgh), Mike Forbes (Boston), Doug Patey (Washington), Bob Kelly (Chicago)
NHL History of the Oilers

History found in Ualbertas Oiler page


1979-80 Wayne Gretzky was the Oilers' top player. Because of his year in the WHA, Gretzky was not considered a rookie. He finished tied with Marcel Dionne of Los Angeles with 137pts. The Art Ross went Dionne because he had more goals. The Oilers finished fourth in the Smythe Division with a record of 28-39-13/69pts.

1980-81
Gretzky wins the first of many scoring titles. The Oilers make it
to the playoffs for the second straight year and and upset
Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. The Oilers lost in the
quarter- finals to the eventual champs, the New York
Islanders. The Oilers finished fourth in the Smythe with a
record of 29-35-16/74 pts.

1981-82
The Oilers finish with a record of 47-21-12/106pts. They
reach the finals against the NYI, who sweep the Oilers four
games straight.


1982-83
Edmonton is first overall with a record of 57-18-5/119pts.
They meet the Islander once again in the final, but this time the
Oilers are the winners beating the Isles four games to one to
capture the first Stanley Cup in Oilers history.


1983-84
The Oilers open the season with a record of 12-0-3. The
Oilers post a record of 49-20-11/109pts while Gretzky scores
an unbelievable 208pts. The Oilers meet the first overall
Philadelphia Flyers in the final, and win their second cup four
games to one.


1984-85
The Oilers win the first ever President Trophy award to the top
team in the overall season standings. The Oilers, with a record
of 56-17- 7/119pts, and Gretzky, with 215pts, were the early
favorites to win the cup. However, with the game seven of the
Smythe final against the Calgary Flames, rookie defenceman
Steve Smith, at 5:14 of the third period, accidentally put the
puck in his own net. The Oilers never recovered and the Oilers
were eliminated.


1986-87
The Oiler make it back to the finals and meet the Philadelphia
Flyers in the final, the Oilers win the cup in an amazing seven
game final. It was also the scene of Ron Hextalls vicious chop
to the back of the knees of Oiler Kent Nilsson. The Oilers
record that season was 56-24- 6/106pts.


1987-88
For the first time since the 1980-81 season, Gretzky did not
win the scoring title. That honor went to Pittsburgh Penguin
Mario Lemieux. During this season Paul Coffey was traded to
Pittsburgh after holding out for a better contract. Grant Fuhr
set a record for the most games played, 75. The Oilers posted
a record of 44-25-11/99pts (appropriate) and met the Boston
Bruins in the finals. The Oilers jumped out to a three game to
nothing lead. But with in game four, with the score 3-3, the
lights went out at 16:37 of the third. The game was postponed
and the next game played in Edmonton, where the Oilers beat
the Bruins 6-3, for their fourth cup, all won on home ice. It
would be Wayne Gretzky's last Stanley Cup to date, and
Gretzky's last game in an Oilers' uniform.


1988-89
On August 9, 1988, Oilers team owner Peter Pocklington,
stating team financial troubles, traded Wayne Gretzky, along
with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, to the Los
Angeles Kings. In return, the Oilers received Jimmy Carson,
Martin Gelinas, three first round draft picks (89, 91, 93) and
an estimated $15-20 million.

In a twist of fate, the Oilers met up with Gretzky and the Kings in the first round of the playoffs. The Kings fought back from three games to one to defeat the Oilers in game seven in Los Angeles. Gretzky put in the empty net goal to seal the Oilers fate. The Oilers finished the season 38-34-8/84pts, good for third in the Smythe, behind the Kings.


1989-90
The Oilers were better this season. They came back from a
three games to one against Winnipeg to defeat the Jets in
seven. They got their revenge on the Kings, sweeping them in
the second round. Thanks to strong goaltending by Bill
Ranford, the Oilers made it to the finals against the Bruins.
Another power failure, but no postponment, and the Oilers
0won their fifth Stanley Cup. Their record was 38-28-
14/90pts.


1990-91
The Oilers made it to the Campbell Conference championship,
but lost the Minnesota North Stars. The record was
37-37-6/80pts.


1991-92
Mark Messier was traded to the New York Rangers for
Bernie Nichols and a couple of then minor leaguers (Louie
Debrusk and Steven Rice.) The Oilers again made it to the
Campbell Conference finals, but lost to the Chicago
Blackhawks. The record was 36-34-10/82pts.

Darcey McLaughlin compiled this through and great Oilers history which can be found at Ualbetas Oiler Page

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