| Edmonton Oilers | |
|---|---|
 2024–25 Edmonton Oilers season | |
 | |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 1972 |
| History | Alberta Oilers 1972–1973 (WHA) Edmonton Oilers 1973–1979 (WHA) 1979–present (NHL) |
| Home arena | Rogers Place |
| City | Edmonton, Alberta |
 | |
| Team colours | Royal blue, orange, white[1][2] |
| Media | Sportsnet West Sportsnet Oilers Citytv Edmonton 880 CHED |
| Owner(s) | OEG Inc.[3] |
| General manager | Stan Bowman |
| Head coach | Kris Knoblauch |
| Captain | Connor McDavid |
| Minor league affiliates | Bakersfield Condors (AHL) Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 5 (1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90) |
| Conference championships | 8 (1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2005–06, 2023–24) |
| Presidents' Trophy | 2 (1985–86, 1986–87) |
| Division championships | 6 (1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87) |
| Official website | nhl |
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which opened in 2016.[4][5] Kris Knoblauch is the head coach as of November 12, 2023[update], and Stan Bowman was named general manager on July 24, 2024. The Oilers are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta, the other being the Calgary Flames. Their proximity has led to a fierce rivalry known as the "Battle of Alberta".[6]
The Oilers were founded in 1971 by W. D. "Wild Bill" Hunter and Dr. Chuck Allard and played its first season in 1972–73 as one of the twelve founding franchises of the major professional World Hockey Association (WHA). They were intended to be one of two WHA Alberta teams along with the Calgary Broncos. However, when the Broncos relocated and became the Cleveland Crusaders before the WHA's first season began, the team was named the Alberta Oilers. They were renamed the Edmonton Oilers the following year and subsequently joined the NHL in 1979 as one of four franchises absorbed through the NHL–WHA merger.
After joining the NHL, the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup on five occasions: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1989–90. Along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, they are tied for the most championships won by any team since the NHL–WHA merger, as well as the most won by any team that joined the league in or after 1967. Among all NHL teams, only the Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times since the league's 1967 expansion. The Oilers also won six straight division titles from 1981–82 through 1986–87. Notably, however, the Oilers have not won a division title since 1987, a drought that includes their most recent two Stanley Cup wins and is the longest division title drought in all of the North American major professional sports.[a] For their overall success in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Oilers team of this era has been honoured with dynasty status by the Hockey Hall of Fame.[7]
The Oilers began to struggle after coming up short in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, missing the playoffs for the subsequent ten seasons. The Oilers have made nineteen first-round selections in the NHL Entry Draft since 2007: ten within the first ten picks overall, six within the first four picks, and four the first overall selections. With those first overall picks, Edmonton selected Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov and Connor McDavid; of these, Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid remained with the team, helping them reach the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games.
- ^ "RELEASE: Oilers return to iconic original jerseys". EdmontonOilers.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
While the team's primary jersey colours will now be blue (home) and white (away), orange will remain as the trim on both, as well as on the team's alternate uniform that will continue to be worn.
- ^ Kulesa, Anna (July 7, 2022). "Oilers return to original uniforms for 2022–23 season, Gretzky approves". NHL.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
Edmonton will sport the royal blue jerseys during home games and the white jerseys during away games. The orange jerseys will remain as the team's alternate uniform.
- ^ "Contact Us". EdmontonOilers.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ "Edmonton, Alberta". Rogers Place. August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ "Edmonton Oilers' 2017 playoff run ends with 2–1 loss to Ducks in Game 7 of Western Conference semifinal".
- ^ Spector, Mark (2015). The Battle of Alberta: The Historic Rivalry Between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. McClelland & Stewart.
- ^ "Edmonton Oilers 1983–84 to 1989–90". Hockey Hall of Fame. June 28, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
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