The Edmonton Oilers were one of the founding teams in the World Hockey Association
in 1972. They were one of four franchises that joined the NHL in the 1979 merger
of the two leagues. They have seven Division Championships and seven Conference
Championships with five Stanley Cup wins. The team won all five of their Stanley
Cups in the 1980s, making them one of the most successful teams of that decade.
No sport or team would be complete without a little rivalry. The Edmonton Oilers are no exception in that area. The Battle of Alberta is one of the most heated and well known rivalries in the sport of hockey. The Battle of Alberta got its name before the NHL even existed, when the Calgary Flames and the Oilers met in several very heated series. The teams have not met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1991 but the rivalry is still talked about today. The other rivalry they are involved in, although not quite as severe but still heated is that with the Vancouver Canucks.
Home of the Edmonton Oilers is the arena known as Rexall Place. The arena seats 16,839 fans for hockey games and also serves as home to Edmonton’s lacrosse and WHL teams. Although the venue is one of the oldest in the league, it is by no means out of date.
Frequent and consistent renovations ensure that the stadium remains competitive with others in the league. Some interesting aspects about the arena include the fact that it is the only one in the NHL that is operated by the same group that owns the naming rights but is owned by someone else. It is also the only arena in the league that has the players’
benches on the same side of the ice as the cameras are on.
Out in their community, the Edmonton Oilers are just as active as they are during the games. They are highly involved in educational initiatives, featuring programs like the ICE school, where teachers and their classes can have school in the Rexall Arena for one week. They are also active in the Reading…Give it a Shot program to increase literacy and have an online program where teachers from grades four to six can use lesson plans and players past, present, and future to get kids interested in a wider range of subjects.
On the ice and off, the Edmonton Oilers are a valuable part of their community. The entertainment at their games may be their reason for existence, but the team takes it so much further by giving their time and resources to improve the lives of those less fortunate. Edmonton and Alberta are lucky to have such a great team.
2009-10 Edmonton Oilers
After finishing 4th in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers the Oilers let loose their 8-year coach Craig MacTavish and signed Pat Quinn, who leaves Team Canada’s under 18 and junior teams. When Quinn left the NHL three years ago, he was the winningest active NHL coach and 4th on the all-time list. With the 10th overall pick in the Entry Draft, the Oilers selected Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson who plays in the Elite Swedish league Elitserien. The team also signed the following free agents: Nikolai Khabibulin away from the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-yr $15 million contract and former Penguin’s Centre Chris Minard to a 1-year contract, Matt Nickerson and Dean Arsene to undisclosed contracts and Mike Comrie formerly of the Ottawa Senators to a 1-year $1.125 million contract. The Oilers are currently sitting in last place in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Their record stands at 18-31-6.
Previous Seasons
Oilers fans definitely have new things to look forward to. In a bit of a shocker, they have traded Ryan Smith, the face of their franchise, and will start off the season with a new look. GM Kevin Smyth has found a suitable replacement for the still missed Chris Ponger. They traded Captain Jason Smith to the Flyers in a deal for Joni Pitaken. They let struggling Joffrey Lupul go, and added Sheldon Souray and Dick Tarnstrom to their blue line as well. All these changes make Oilers Tickets exciting to have this season.
Edmonton Oilers tickets are on the comeback trail. The league-wide salary cap recently instated by the NHL has benefited the Edmonton Oilers tremendously. Small-market teams, the Oilers have been struggling financially for years, and have been unable to sign high priced talent. The cap allowed the Oilers to acquire two key players for the 2005-2006 season. League MVP Chris Pronger, who is considered one of the best defensive players in the league, promises to be a huge asset to the Oilers. Defensive forward Michael Pena, previously of the New York Islanders, is a two-time Frank J. Selphe Trophy winner. Holders of Edmonton Oilers hockey tickets hope that with these two additions, their team will win their division and reach the 2006 playoffs.
Fans hope to see the Oilers return to their days of glory, when they won the Stanley Cup four out of five years, in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. This was during the era of hockey prodigy Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky, considered by many to be the greatest hockey player of all time, is the only player to have his jersey retired across the entire NHL. The center has earned the nickname "The Great One" for his amazing abilities on the ice. He was voted league MVP and won the Hart Memorial Trophy in his first season in the NHL and for the seven subsequent seasons. Beginning with his second season, he won the Art Ross Trophy for most points scored in a single season for seven years in a row. He continued to break records as Oilers center, and at one time held or shared 49 NHL records.
After Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, the Oilers suffered a first-round playoff loss to none other than Gretzky and the Kings. In 1990, they lost Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr, who was arrested for cocaine possession. They found a more than suitable replacement in new goalie Bill Ranford, whose outstanding goaltending helped the team to win their sixth Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins. Edmonton Oilers hockey ticket sales began to rise again.
As player salaries climbed, Edmonton was unable to afford to keep many of its top players. Messier and Fuhr, along with Kurri, Ranford, and Anderson, left the team. The Oilers held on to win playoff berths in 1991 and 1992, but were unable to make it in 1993. They did not return to the playoffs until 1997, when they defeated the Dallas Stars in a thrilling seven-game contest. The team reached the playoffs every year until 2002 and again in 2004.
Edmonton Oilers ticket holders enjoy watching their team play their home games at Skyreach Center, which is considered to have the best ice in the NHL. The arena seats 16,839, with 39 luxury suites and 16 skyboxes. A bronze statue of Wayne Gretzky greets visitors to Skyreach Center.The Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL in 1979, after playing in the World Hockey Association from 1972-1979. Led by Gretzky and his talented young teammates Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe, the team was able to make the Stanley Cup playoffs in their first season in the NHL.
