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191-780: 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. Kris Knoblauch is the head coach as of November 12, 2023, and Stan Bowman was named general manager on July 24, 2024. The Oilers are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta ,
382-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
573-502: A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL owners and players. This included a league-wide salary cap that essentially forced all teams to conform to a budget, as the Oilers had been doing for years. A more reasonable conversion rate of Canadian dollar revenues to US dollar payroll in the new millennium also helped the Oilers to return to profitability. Because of this, Edmonton
764-516: A Fernando Pisani short-handed overtime winner in Game 5 and a 4–0 shutout for Markkanen in Game 6. However, the Oilers could not complete the comeback as the Hurricanes won Game 7 3–1 to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup. In the 2006 off-season, many Oilers left the team. Four days after their loss to the Hurricanes, Chris Pronger surprisingly issued a trade request for personal reasons. Pronger
955-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
1146-527: A brief revival of the Oil Kings—the team would move again a year later and become the Great Falls Americans . The 1980s were marked by several brawls that involved police intervention, one of the most bizarre trades in hockey history, and the tragic deaths of four players in a bus crash. Early in the 1980–81 WHL season , Medicine Hat Tigers manager and coach Pat Ginnell traded blows with
1337-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
1528-481: A crashing halt, as the Blackhawks dominated every game and swept the series. The departures of the stars from the 1980s exposed serious deficiencies in the Oilers' development system. They had done a poor job of drafting during the dynasty years, and the younger players had not had enough time to develop before the core of the 1980s dynasty left the team. This did not become apparent for a few years; as noted above,
1719-399: A family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at
1910-666: A fan. LaForge was acquitted when the judge noted that it was hard to convict a man for assault when faced with "an obnoxious person trying to get into the coach's area." LaForge resigned following the season after serving three separate suspensions. On January 19, 1983, the Seattle Breakers dealt Tom Martin and $ 35,000 to the Victoria Cougars for the Cougars' team bus. The Breakers had been unable to sign Martin, who wanted to play in his home town of Victoria, and
2101-404: A first-round draft pick in 2011 (used to select Oscar Klefbom ) and a conditional third-round pick in 2012 . At the end of the season, the Oilers were at the bottom of the standings and received the right to choose first overall in the upcoming 2011 NHL entry draft . The Oilers selected Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the first overall selection, along with several other "blue chip" prospects. During
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#17327762754282292-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
2483-549: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
2674-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
2865-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
3056-754: A less complicated return of the WHA to Calgary, though, the team ultimately played all of its home games in the Edmonton Gardens and changed its name back to the Edmonton Oilers the following year. They won the first game in WHA history 7–4 over the Ottawa Nationals . The Oilers drew fans with players such as defenceman and team captain Al Hamilton , goaltender Dave Dryden and forwards Blair MacDonald and Bill Flett . However,
3247-617: A linesman during a bench clearing brawl against the Lethbridge Broncos . Ginnell was found guilty of assault, fined $ 360, and suspended for 36 games by the WHL. In March 1982, a violent brawl between the Regina Pats and Calgary Wranglers saw the two teams collectively fined $ 2,250 and players suspended for 73 combined games. Pats coach Bill LaForge would end up in a courtroom later that season when he got into an altercation with
3438-458: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
3629-583: A name that had previously been used as a nickname for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 1950s and 1960s. Hunter also served as head coach during 1972–73, 1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons. After the newly founded Calgary Broncos folded before the commencement of the inaugural WHA season, the Oilers were renamed the Alberta Oilers as it was planned to split their home games between Edmonton and Calgary . Possibly for financial reasons or to allow for
3820-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
4011-539: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
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#17327762754284202-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
4393-470: A playoff year, with 19. However, Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy after setting the record for most points in a playoff year (47). The 1984–85 Oilers were voted as the greatest NHL team of all-time during the league's centennial celebrations in 2017. Despite off-season legal issues, the Oilers were again the top team in the NHL during the 1985–86 season , with 56 wins and 119 points. They won
4584-893: A regular schedule for 2021–22, and the Oil Kings became the first team to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup since the Prince Albert Raiders in 2019. The WHL comprises 22 teams divided into two conferences, making it the largest league in the CHL—the Ontario Hockey League has 20 teams and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has 18. The WHL has member teams across four Canadian provinces and two American states. The Eastern Conference comprises teams from Manitoba , Saskatchewan , and Alberta . The Western Conference
4775-408: A relatively little-noticed move in 1976 had an important impact on the history of the franchise. That year, journeyman forward Glen Sather was acquired by the Oilers. It turned out to be his final season as a player and he was named player-coach late in the season, moving to the bench full-time after the season. Sather was the coach or general manager of the Oilers for the next 23 years. Although
4966-503: A restructuring of their hockey operations on July 30, 2008, which saw the promotion of Kevin Lowe to the role of president of hockey operations and was replaced by Steve Tambellini . The 2008–09 season saw the Oilers finish with a record of 38–35–9, but that was only good enough for 11th in the West. However, one bright spot during the season was Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson, as he became
5157-681: A season (with forty exactly). The team scored a total of 446 goals as a team, an NHL record. The Oilers were so determined to win the Stanley Cup that they hired Roger Neilson as a video analyst. They started the playoffs strongly by sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in the Smythe Division semifinals. They faced a tougher test in the Calgary Flames , but they defeated them in seven games in the division finals. They then swept
5348-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
5539-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
5730-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
5921-555: A time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in
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6112-467: A total value of CA$ 9 million by 2008. Teams maintain academic advisors, who monitor the academic progress of players along with the league's Director of Education Services. Canadian universities and colleges recruit extensively from the WHL, affording graduating players the opportunity to continue playing hockey in U Sports competition as they attend post-secondary institutions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) considers graduates of
6303-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
6494-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
6685-517: Is an annual event in which teams select players from bantam hockey league age groups, i.e. 14 or 15 years old. The order of selection depends on the league's standings. Players aged 15 to 20 are eligible to play in the WHL, with some restrictions. 15-year-olds are permitted to play only five games, unless their midget team's season has ended. Meanwhile, each team is allowed to have only three 20-year-olds on their rosters, except for expansion teams, for which five 20-year-olds are eligible to play. Each team
6876-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
7067-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
7258-422: Is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of the IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on
7449-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
7640-545: Is made up of teams based in British Columbia , Washington , and Oregon . The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, with the division winners declared the top two seeds in the first round of the post-season. In the playoffs, the four remaining teams in each conference are reseeded by regular season points in the second round. Note: Current teams are shown in blue. Gold stars denote league championships. The WHL Bantam Draft
7831-769: Is permitted to carry only two non-North American players, and teams have the opportunity to select such players through the CHL Import Draft . Each of the CHL's three member leagues are granted exclusive territorial rights to players from within North America. The WHL holds rights to players from the four western provinces, the American Pacific Northwest, all other American states west of the Mississippi River (except Missouri), and
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8022-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
8213-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
8404-554: The 1993–94 season , the Oilers were placed into the Western Conference's Pacific Division. In 1996–97 , the Oilers made the playoffs for the first time in five years, thanks to stellar goaltending by Curtis Joseph . In the first round, they upset the Dallas Stars , who had compiled the league's second-best record, in a seven-game series. The Oilers won game seven on a goal by Todd Marchant in overtime . However,
8595-722: The 2002 Memorial Cup —despite being in one of the smallest markets in the league. In the 2000s, the league expanded four more times. The Vancouver Giants joined in 2001, the Everett Silvertips in 2003, the Chilliwack Bruins in 2005—the team relocated in 2011 and became the Victoria Royals —and the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2007. The Kelowna Rockets established a run of dominance, winning three WHL titles in 2003, 2005, and 2009, and winning
8786-509: 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
8977-473: The 2015 NHL entry draft held in Sunrise, Florida, on June 26. On April 24, Craig MacTavish was removed from his position as general manager and was replaced by former Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli , who was also appointed president of hockey operations as part of other related changes. In Chiarelli's first transactions as Oilers general manager, he traded a first and a second-round pick during
9168-554: The Alberta Junior Hockey League and the senior Central Alberta Hockey League . During the 1966 Memorial Cup, Hunter made newspaper headlines when he outlined his vision for a nation-wide junior hockey league competing for the Memorial Cup . The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association's (CAHA) second vice-president Lloyd Pollock responded by saying that the idea was a pipe dream, and was not feasible while
9359-673: The Boston Bruins in four games. The fourth game had to be re-played because of a cancellation. With the score tied 3–3 with 3:23 to play in the second period, a power outage hit the Boston Garden , forcing cancellation of the entire game. The Oilers won the next game (originally scheduled as game five) back in Edmonton 6–3 to complete the series sweep. However, all player statistics for the aborted game four in Boston are counted in
9550-800: 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
9741-850: The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada , alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League . Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup , with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup , Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba , Saskatchewan , and Alberta , while
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#17327762754289932-565: The Edmonton Oil Kings , a junior hockey franchise, and founded the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (now known as the Western Hockey League (WHL)). Hunter's efforts to bring major professional hockey to Edmonton via an expansion NHL franchise had been rebuffed by the NHL. So, he looked to the upstart WHA instead. It was Hunter who chose the "Oilers" name for the new WHA franchise. This was
10123-662: The Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who would have moved the team to Houston, Texas . On March 14, 1998, hours before the deadline to keep the team in Edmonton, the Edmonton Investors Group agreed to pay $ 70 million to buy the club. The EIG were spearheaded by Cal Nichols , who committed to retaining NHL hockey in Edmonton. The deal was finalized on May 5, and thus prevented them from being
10314-758: The Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for the first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it
10505-803: The Minnesota North Stars in the conference finals to earn a rematch with the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals . The Oilers split the first two games in Long Island but then won three in a row in Edmonton to become the first former WHA team to win the Stanley Cup. After the series, Mark Messier was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. The following season , the Oilers finished second overall in
10696-556: The Pittsburgh Penguins , in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft . Before his trade, Schultz endured the worst season of his professional career, with just 10 points in 45 games. Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to
10887-531: 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,
11078-666: The Portland Winter Hawks , marking the WCHL's first American club. With the addition of two more American teams in the Seattle Breakers and Billings Bighorns a year later, the WCHL shortened its name to the Western Hockey League. Despite the Flin Flon Bombers' early success, the remoteness and size of the community increasingly posed a challenge, and in 1978 the team relocated to Edmonton in
11269-805: The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL)—the Bruins, Moose Jaw Canucks , Regina Pats , Saskatoon Blades , and Weyburn Red Wings —left the SJHL and joined the Oil Kings and the Calgary Buffaloes in forming the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL). Despite concerns that the CMJHL would mean the demise of the Alberta and Saskatchewan leagues—the SJHL did immediately fold—the governing bodies in both provinces sanctioned
11460-417: The Yukon , Northwest Territories , and Nunavut . With most players joining the league while still attending school, the WHL takes a role in its players educational needs. The league operates a scholarship program that offers one full year of tuition, textbooks, and compulsory fees for each season played in the WHL. Since this program was introduced in 1993, more than 3,000 scholarships had been handed out at
11651-406: The 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by
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#173277627542811842-435: The 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games, was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today
12033-659: The 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive the puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
12224-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
12415-405: The 2011 off-season, the team again made several moves to bolster the offence and defence, re-acquiring fan favourite Ryan Smyth from Los Angeles for Colin Fraser and a seventh-round draft pick. The team also traded with the Anaheim Ducks to acquire Andy Sutton for Kurtis Foster . Sheldon Souray , who played the entire 2010–11 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hershey Bears ,
12606-416: The CAHA was re-negotiating a development agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL). CAHA informed the Oil Kings that they were required to play full-time in a junior hockey league for the 1966–67 season or would be ineligible to compete for the Memorial Cup. This led Hunter to endorse the suggestion of Estevan Bruins owner Scotty Munro to create a new Western regional junior league. Five members of
12797-468: The CHA and re-sanctioning the WCHL, making it one of three top-flight major junior leagues, along with the Ontario Hockey Association —now the Ontario Hockey League —and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League—now the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League . Then, in 1972, the format of the Memorial Cup was changed to become a tournament between the champion of each major junior league. The league's first decade saw constant expansion and franchise movement as
12988-415: The CHL to be professionals and thus ineligible to participate in college hockey programs in the United States. Players hoping to receive scholarships to, and play for, American universities must play Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League , one of the Canadian Junior Hockey League 's member organizations, or the United States Hockey League to retain their NCAA eligibility. WHL teams earn
13179-421: The Cougars were unable to use the bus, which they had purchased from the folded Spokane Flyers , because they were unwilling to pay the taxes and duties required to register the vehicle in Canada. On December 30, 1986, tragedy struck the Swift Current Broncos when their bus slid off an icy highway and rolled on the way to Regina for a game. Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Brent Ruff, and Chris Mantyka were killed in
13370-413: The Jets following a merger agreement between the two leagues. Of these four teams, only Edmonton has avoided relocation and renaming; the Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, the Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 and the Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. The Oilers lost most of the players from 1978–79 when the NHL held a reclamation draft of players who had bolted to
13561-436: The Los Angeles Kings in six games. However, their success did not continue into the conference finals, as they lost in five games to the Minnesota North Stars. The final star players from the Oilers left before the 1991–92 season . Fuhr and Glenn Anderson were traded to Toronto, Steve Smith was traded to Chicago, and Kurri was traded to Philadelphia. Charlie Huddy was claimed by Minnesota in the expansion draft, and Mark Messier
13752-660: The Memorial Cup as host in 2004. 2011 saw WHL teams participate in two outdoor games for the first time. The Spokane Chiefs hosted the Kootenay Ice on January 15, and on February 21, the Calgary Hitmen hosted the Regina Pats for a game in conjunction with the 2011 Heritage Classic . A third outdoor game was hosted by Regina as part of the 2019 Heritage Classic , featuring a rematch against the Hitmen. The league
13943-728: The Memorial Cup tournament. In May 1967, the CMJHL renamed itself to the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). The league also added four new teams, including the Swift Current Broncos and three teams based in Manitoba—the Brandon Wheat Kings , Flin Flon Bombers , and Winnipeg Jets . The new CAHA-NHL development agreement came into effect July 1, 1967. The new pact ended direct sponsorship of junior teams by
14134-596: The NHL point-scoring race, while Messier was fourth. Edmonton returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and faced the same opponent as they had in 1985, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers took a three-games-to-one lead in the series. However, strong goaltending by Flyers' rookie Ron Hextall forced a Game 7, which the Oilers won, 3–1. In the post-game celebration, Gretzky immediately passed the Stanley Cup to Steve Smith, vindicated after his costly miscue
14325-472: The NHL record books. Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the playoffs in scoring with 43 points. After the Cup-clinching game, Gretzky implored his teammates, coaches, trainers, and others from the Oilers organization to join at centre ice for an impromptu team photo with the Stanley Cup. This started a tradition since continued by every subsequent Stanley Cup champion. After the season, Fuhr
14516-541: The NHL with 49 wins and 109 points. Gretzky led the NHL in goals with 73, and Kurri was close behind with a career-high 71. Gretzky also became the youngest player in NHL history to score one thousand points. In the playoffs, the Oilers swept the Kings in the opening round and Jets in round two. They won the first two games of the conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks but lost the next two before winning
14707-499: The NHL's history and part of the celebrations of the Oilers' 25th season in the NHL. They were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens 4–3 in front of more than 55,000 fans, an NHL attendance record, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The Oilers failed to make the playoffs in the 2003–04 season . The Oilers struggled with their small-market status for several years, but after the wiped-out 2004–05 season, they were aided by
14898-510: The NHL). They won only one playoff series in their first three NHL seasons, though, upsetting the Montreal Canadiens in 1980–81 . Gretzky set new NHL records in 1980–81 for assists (109) and points (164). Also, they still had great draft positions. This allowed the Oilers to put together a young, talented, experienced team quickly. Within three years, Sather and chief scout Barry Fraser had drafted several players who would have an important role in
15089-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
15280-530: The NHL, the Oilers were placed in the Campbell Conference's Smythe Division. They were mediocre during the regular season in their first two seasons, finishing sixteenth and fourteenth respectively. However, because 16 of the 21 NHL teams made the playoffs at the time, the Oilers were still able to get their young players experience in the playoffs (they made the playoffs for their first 13 years in
15471-538: The NHL, which shifted to paying development fees to CAHA, with junior players becoming eligible for the NHL entry draft at age 20. With the agreement settled, CAHA finally sanctioned the WCHL, which allowed for the league champion Estevan Bruins to compete for the 1968 Memorial Cup . However, in May 1968, Hunter announced that the league would use an age limit of 21 in spite of the CAHA-NHL agreement. The WCJHL claimed that
15662-407: The NHL. Messier had 45 goals and 84 assists for 129 points, good for second in the NHL scoring race (behind only Gretzky). In the first round, the Oilers faced the Winnipeg Jets. Trailing the series 3–1 and trailing Game 5 by an identical score, the Oilers rallied to win the next three and take the series. In the division final, the Oilers met Los Angeles for the second straight season. Edmonton swept
15853-492: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
16044-470: The Oilers blew a 3–0 lead, lost Dwayne Roloson for the series after he suffered a knee injury, and ultimately lost 5–4 when Carolina's captain Rod Brind'Amour scored the winning goal in the final minute after backup goalie Ty Conklin misplayed the puck. From that game forward, the Oilers used Jussi Markkanen in net. Despite trailing the series 2–0 and 3–1, the Oilers forced a Game 7 with a 2–1 win in Game 3,
16235-490: The Oilers elected to begin the 2015–16 season without a team captain; this marked the first time they had done so since entering the NHL, in 1979. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Andrew Ference, who had served as team captain the previous two seasons, were all named as alternate captains. On February 27, 2016, mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the Oilers traded defenceman Justin Schultz to
16426-546: The Oilers failed to win their third-straight Stanley Cup, as the Calgary Flames defeated them in seven games in the second round. In the third period of a 2–2 tie during Game 7, Steve Smith , a rookie for the Oilers, accidentally sent the puck into his own net on his birthday. This goal stood as the series-winning goal. The 1986–87 season saw the Oilers capture their second straight Presidents' Trophy with 50 wins and 106 points. Gretzky and Kurri were first and second in
16617-572: The Oilers finish first in the WHA standings, posting a league-best 48–30–2 record. However, Edmonton failed to win the championship, as they fell to the Winnipeg Jets in the Avco World Trophy finals. Dave Semenko of the Oilers scored the last goal in WHA history in the third period of the final game, which they lost 7–3. The Oilers joined the NHL for 1979–80 , along with fellow WHA teams Hartford Whalers , Quebec Nordiques and
16808-407: The Oilers finished first overall in the NHL, winning a franchise record 57 games and earning 119 points (15 points ahead of the second-place Islanders). They were the first team to feature three players with 50 goals (Gretzky, Kurri, and Anderson). Gretzky started strong by scoring at least a point in the first 51 games of the season. Paul Coffey became the second defenceman ever to score forty goals in
16999-441: The Oilers finished third overall in the NHL. They advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals (losing only once in the process) before getting swept by defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders . During this season, Gretzky, Messier, Anderson and Kurri all topped 100 points, with Coffey not far behind at 96. After the season, Lee Fogolin resigned as captain of the Oilers, picking Gretzky as his successor. In 1983–84 ,
17190-546: 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. 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 . The Oilers began to struggle after coming up short in
17381-402: The Oilers posted a 32–43–7 record in 2006–07 , their worst record since the 1995–96 season, and eventually finished in 11th place in the Western Conference. Throughout the season, the Oilers lost various players to injury and illness; at one point, they had 11 players out of the lineup and had to rely on emergency call-ups to fill their roster. In 2007–08 , the Oilers had a 16–21–4 record after
17572-629: The Oilers released a statement that their affiliation with the Barons would cease at the end of the season. Following Edmonton's decision not to renew affiliation with the Barons, the Oilers relocated their AHL franchise from Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , to Bakersfield, California . This move was announced on January 29, 2015, as part of the AHL's new Pacific Division, which included the Oilers' affiliation in Bakersfield. The following month, on February 25,
17763-420: The Oilers still had enough heft to make the conference finals two years in a row. However, it was obvious that they were nowhere near being the powerhouse that had dominated the league in the previous half-decade. In 1992–93 , they missed the playoffs for the first time as an NHL team. They did not return to the postseason for four years, despite the emergence of young centremen Doug Weight and Jason Arnott . In
17954-484: The Oilers were only able to finish in third place in their division. Mark Messier was chosen to succeed Gretzky as captain. Coincidentally, the Oilers' first-round playoff opponent was Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton took a commanding 3–1 series lead, but Gretzky and the Kings fought back to win the series, winning Game 7 6–3 in Los Angeles. It was the first time since 1982 that the Oilers had been eliminated from
18145-428: The Oilers won the game 3–2 when Klima—benched for much of the game and thus the only player on either team who was not exhausted—scored at 15:13 of the third overtime. The Oilers defeated the Bruins in five games and won their first Cup without Gretzky. For his superlative goaltending, Bill Ranford won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Oilers lost another important player before the 1990–91 season , as Jari Kurri chose to play
18336-478: The Oilers' longest-serving player by this point. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson all made their NHL debuts for the team. Despite the influx of their young talent, Edmonton still found themselves at the bottom of the standings. In an attempt to gain valuable prospects and draft picks, Dustin Penner was traded from the Oilers to Los Angeles on February 28, 2011, in exchange for Colten Teubert ,
18527-426: The Oilers' on-ice performance for most of the WHA's history was mediocre, they remained well-supported and financially stable by WHA standards. In 1976, Hunter and Allard sold the franchise to Vancouver real estate tycoon Nelson Skalbania , who later became notorious for flipping property, both real and franchised . Skalbania soon made local businessman Peter Pocklington a full partner, then sold his shares to him
18718-523: The Oilers' surprise playoff run failed to continue, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated them in the next round. In 1997–98 , Joseph led the Oilers to another first-round upset. After Colorado took a 3–1 series lead, the Oilers held them scoreless for eight straight periods en route to winning the series in seven games. Dallas and Edmonton met again in the second round, but this time, the Stars were
18909-796: The San Jose Sharks, mutually agreed to part ways on April 20 after the Sharks failed to qualify for the 2015 playoffs . More coaching changes came on June 4 when Keith Acton and Craig Ramsay were relieved of their duties. In addition to these coaching changes, the Oilers also made some changes to their scouting staff on June 22, which saw both head amateur and professional scouts Stu MacGregor and Morey Gare relieved of their duties. Amateur scouts Brad Davis and Kent Hawley, and professional scouts Dave Semenko and Billy Moores , who served as director of coaching and special projects, were also relieved of their duties. Further changes came on October 7, when
19100-684: The WCHL and the CHA. Concerns over the WCHL's relationship with CAHA and a desire to compete for the Memorial Cup led the Pats, Canucks, and Red Wings to withdraw before the 1968–69 season , and join a revived Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League instead. At the conclusion of the season, the CHA organized its own national championship, which pitted the WCHL-champion Flin Flon Bombers against the St. Thomas Barons from Ontario. The initiative
19291-736: The Western Conference comprises 11 teams from British Columbia , Washington , and Oregon . The league was founded in 1966 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL), with seven teams in Saskatchewan and Alberta. For its 1967 season, the league was renamed the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL). From 1968, the league was renamed the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and finally
19482-576: The Western Hockey League from 1978 after the admission of American-based teams to the league. The league was the brainchild of Bill Hunter , who desired to build a western league capable of competing with the top leagues in Ontario and Quebec . He partnered with Scotty Munro , Del Wilson, and Jim Piggott to make this vision a reality. Originally considered an "outlaw league" by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association ,
19673-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
19864-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
20055-507: The changes, the Oilers placed third overall in the NHL. Grant Fuhr started a league-record 75 games (which has now been broken) and posted a team-record 40 wins. In the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers dispatched the third-place Winnipeg Jets in five games. The Oilers then defeated first-overall Calgary in a sweep. In the conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings , the Oilers prevailed in five games. The Oilers then swept
20246-518: The crash. The Broncos retired their numbers and introduced a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players; in 2016, a memorial was unveiled at the crash site. The WHL later renamed its award for most valuable player as the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in their honour. In 1989, less than three years after the crash, the Broncos won the league title and the Memorial Cup. The 1990s saw another period of expansion and
20437-527: The ending of the 2011–12 season , the Oilers announced they would not renew the contract of head coach Tom Renney. The following month, Edmonton selected Nail Yakupov as the first overall pick at the 2012 NHL entry draft . A week later, Ralph Krueger was named as the Oilers' new head coach on June 27, being promoted from his role as associate coach the season previous. Three days later, Edmonton announced they had agreed to terms with sought-after free agent defenceman Justin Schultz . The 2012–13 season start
20628-493: The entire season with Devils Milano . Grant Fuhr was suspended for 60 games for drug abuse. The season itself was not great for the Oilers, who finished with 37 wins and 80 points, in third place in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, the Oilers met the Flames in the opening round, winning a thrilling series in seven games, led by seven goals by Esa Tikkanen . Despite injuries suffered in the series with Calgary, they next defeated
20819-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
21010-495: The expansion Victoria Cougars and Vancouver Nats . In the mid-1970s, the Bruins established the WCHL's first true dynasty, capturing four consecutive championships between 1975 and 1978. The Bruins also won back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1977 and 1978. In 1976, the Oil Kings, facing pressure from the professional Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association , relocated to Oregon to become
21201-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
21392-403: The final two and returning to the Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton lost the first game to Philadelphia but won the next four to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. Paul Coffey had a playoff performance to remember, setting records for most goals (12), assists (25), and points (37) ever by a defenceman in a playoff year. In addition, Jari Kurri tied Reggie Leach 's record for most goals in
21583-676: The first day of the 2015 NHL entry draft to the New York Islanders, in exchange for defenceman Griffin Reinhart . Chiarelli again made trades the following day and traded another second-, a third- and a seventh-round draft pick to the New York Rangers, to acquire goaltender Cam Talbot and the Rangers' seventh-round draft pick. On May 19, Todd McLellan was named the new head coach of the Oilers. He and his former team,
21774-542: The first half of the season. They improved in the second half of the year, however, going 25–14–2 in 41 games for a final record of 41–35–6. Nonetheless, this was not enough to qualify for the playoffs, as the Oilers finished three points out in ninth place. During the season, Daryl Katz , owner of the Rexall pharmaceutical company , purchased the team from the Edmonton Investors Group. The Oilers announced
21965-552: The first player in NHL history to score 200 points (with 212). Gretzky's accomplishments helped the Oilers become the first team to score 400 goals in a season, a feat they accomplished for five straight years. However, they were upset by the Los Angeles Kings in five games (Game 3 of this series, the Miracle on Manchester , saw the Oilers take a 5–0 lead into the third period, only to lose 6–5 in overtime). In 1982–83 ,
22156-660: The first round of the playoffs, the Oilers again met the Los Angeles Kings. Again, for the third time since the Gretzky trade, the Oilers defeated the Kings. In the next round, the Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in six games to return to the conference finals for the third straight season, this time facing the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the Oilers' unexpected run in the playoffs came to
22347-404: The following year. The team's fortunes improved dramatically in 1978 when Pocklington acquired underage player Wayne Gretzky , as well as goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll , for cash, from Skalbania's recently folded Indianapolis Racers . His first year of WHA experience prevented Gretzky from being an official 1979–80 NHL rookie; his first and only WHA season, 1978–79 , saw
22538-511: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
22729-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
22920-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
23111-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
23302-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
23493-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
23684-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
23875-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
24066-568: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
24257-458: The ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass
24448-560: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League ( WHL ) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States . The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes
24639-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
24830-480: The inaugural Presidents' Trophy , the trophy given to the team with the best regular season record. Gretzky, Kurri, and Anderson each scored 50 goals again. Kurri led the NHL in goals with 68, finishing with 131 points. Paul Coffey set a new record for most goals in a season by a defenceman (48) and just missed setting a new record for points by a defenceman with 138 ( Bobby Orr scored 139 in 1970–71 ). Gretzky also set records for assists (163) and points (215). However,
25021-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
25212-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
25403-546: The league spread throughout the west. The Flin Flon Bombers, led by future NHL stars Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach , became the league's first powerhouse team, making three straight finals appearances and winning back-to-back championships in 1969 and 1970. The WCHL became a truly western league in 1971 when the Estevan Bruins moved to British Columbia to become the New Westminster Bruins , joined by
25594-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
25785-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
25976-549: The lower age limit decreased its talent pool and negatively impacted ticket sales. In response, CAHA again suspended the league and its players. In June 1968, the WCJHL changed its name to the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), and announced that it was leaving CAHA to form the rival Canadian Hockey Association (CHA). Hunter became chairman of the board for the WCHL, and Ron Butlin became president of
26167-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
26358-485: The new arena on December 3, 2013; the new 18,641-seat arena was called Rogers Place . After 41 games into the shortened season and with the Oilers mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for a seventh successive time, Edmonton terminated Steve Tambellini's contract as general manager, where he was replaced with former head coach Craig MacTavish. Following the end of the season, on June 8, MacTavish fired Ralph Krueger after just one season as head coach. Two days later, it
26549-564: The new league. However, CAHA did not sanction it, declaring the CMJHL to be an "outlaw league" and suspending its teams and players from participation in CAHA events, including the Memorial Cup. The new league accused CAHA of overstepping its boundaries and, with the support of the players and their families, chose to play the season regardless. The CMJHL began legal action against the CAHA executive in March 1967, fighting to regain eligibility to enter
26740-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
26931-664: The off-season to begin the rebuild of the club around their young talent. Patrick O'Sullivan was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Jim Vandermeer , Robert Nilsson was bought out of his contract and Oilers captain Ethan Moreau was placed on waivers and claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets . Along with these players, several others were allowed to enter free agency, including Mike Comrie , Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Ryan Potulny . Also during
27122-462: The off-season, radio announcer Rod Phillips announced his retirement. Phillips had been the Oilers' play-by-play announcer since 1973–74 . Phillips called ten specific games in 2010–11 before calling it quits. The 2010–11 Edmonton Oilers season is documented in the series Oil Change . The 2010–11 season brought a new look to the Edmonton Oilers line-up, when Shawn Horcoff was selected to succeed Ethan Moreau as team captain. Horcoff had become
27313-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
27504-523: The oldest goaltender to play 60 NHL games in one season. After the season, the Oilers fired head coach Craig MacTavish and hired Pat Quinn as his replacement. Roloson left via free agency at the end of the season, and the Oilers replaced him in goal with Nikolai Khabibulin . The Oilers also worked out a trade with the Ottawa Senators for star right wing Dany Heatley , which would have seen Dustin Penner , Ladislav Smid and Andrew Cogliano go
27695-409: The other being the Calgary Flames . Their proximity has led to a fierce rivalry known as the " Battle of Alberta ". 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
27886-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
28077-562: The other way, but Heatley refused a trade to Edmonton and was later acquired by San Jose. Following the season, Tom Renney replaced Quinn as the Oilers head coach. The one advantage to such a bad season was that the Oilers were able to make the first pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft . The Oilers selected two-time Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy winner Taylor Hall from the Windsor Spitfires with their pick. They used
28268-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
28459-468: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
28650-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
28841-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
29032-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
29223-427: The playoffs in the first round. The Oilers underwent more changes during the 1989–90 season . John Muckler replaced Sather, who remained general manager and became the Oilers' president, as head coach of the team. During training camp, Grant Fuhr came down with a severe case of appendicitis. He missed the first ten games of the season and when he returned he suffered a shoulder injury that eventually sidelined him for
29414-501: The previous season. Hextall won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Oilers began losing star players in 1987–88 . Paul Coffey sat out the first 21 games of the season before getting traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins . Andy Moog also failed to report; he was tired of being the backup goalie. Moog played for the Canadian Olympic team in the 1988 Winter Olympics before getting traded to the Boston Bruins for Bill Ranford . Despite
29605-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
29796-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
29987-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
30178-443: The puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before
30369-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
30560-492: The remainder of the season. This marked the emergence of Bill Ranford as a starter. Four games into the season, Jimmy Carson decided the pressure of playing in Edmonton was too intense and he was traded to Detroit with Kevin McClelland in exchange for Petr Klima , Adam Graves , Joe Murphy and Jeff Sharples . The Oilers improved on their previous season, finishing with 38 wins and 90 points, good for fifth place overall in
30751-683: The return of the league to Western Canada's major cities. In 1991, the Spokane Chiefs became the second American team to win the Memorial Cup. The Kamloops Blazers established themselves as the WHL's second dynasty when they won both the WHL Championship and Memorial Cup three times in four years between 1992 and 1995. In 1995, the Calgary Hitmen , founded by a group of investors including Bret "the Hitman" Hart , from whom
30942-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
31133-631: The season with 95 points and clinch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference over Vancouver. In the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers played the Detroit Red Wings (winners of the Presidents' Trophy). Despite Detroit's much better regular season record, the Oilers pulled off a six-game upset for their first playoff series win since 1998. Edmonton then met the San Jose Sharks in the conference semifinals. After trailing
31324-403: The series 4–0, outscoring the Kings 22–10. The Oilers then met the Chicago Blackhawks in the conference finals and fell behind 2–1 in the series. However, the Oilers won the next three games to earn a rematch of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals with Boston. The series is remembered for Game 1, still the longest Stanley Cup Finals game played in the modern NHL. Despite being soundly outshot by the Bruins,
31515-534: The series two games to none, the team won the next four and became the first eighth-seeded team to reach a conference final since the NHL changed the playoff format in 1994 . There, the Oilers beat the sixth-seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games, claiming the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for a seventh time. In the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals , Edmonton met the Carolina Hurricanes . During Game 1,
31706-462: The shortened season a day later, on January 20. On January 23, to ensure the health of the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton and for the planned revitalization of downtown Edmonton , the City of Edmonton council voted 10–3 to approval a deal that saw a new $ 480 million arena built in Edmonton's downtown core for the start of the 2016–17 season. Rogers Communications announced it had the naming rights to
31897-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
32088-651: The team got its name, were granted an expansion franchise. Despite early fears that the WHL could not succeed in an NHL city, the Hitmen were a success, averaging as many as 10,000 fans per game by 2004–05 . The Hitmen were followed one year later by the Edmonton Ice , but that team failed after only two seasons because of conflicts with the Edmonton Oilers. The team became the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, British Columbia , and found better success—including winning
32279-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
32470-601: The team was given its new identity, the Bakersfield Condors . On April 2, the Condors released their new logo. Off-season moves failed to help the Oilers as they finished behind Arizona in the NHL during 2014–15 . It was also easily their worst season as an NHL team. The Oilers won the 2015 draft lottery on April 18, moving them from the third-overall pick to first, marking their fourth lottery win in six seasons. The Oilers selected Connor McDavid first overall in
32661-414: The team's success, including Mark Messier , Glenn Anderson , Jari Kurri , Paul Coffey , Kevin Lowe , Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog . The Oilers improved in 1981–82 , finishing second overall. Grant Fuhr emerged as the starting goaltender and he set a rookie record by going undefeated in 23 straight games. However, Gretzky stole the show by setting the single-season record for goals with 92 and becoming
32852-581: The team, helping them reach the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games. On November 1, 1971, the Edmonton Oilers became 1 of the 12 founding WHA franchises. The original owners were "Wild Bill" Hunter (1920–2002) and partner, Dr. Charles A. "Chuck" Allard (1919–1991) (father of Vancouver lawyer Peter Allard ) who, a decade later, also brought the SCTV sketch comedy TV series to Edmonton. Hunter also owned
33043-438: The third Canadian team to move in the 1990s and the fourth former WHA team to move in successive years (Quebec had moved in 1995, Winnipeg in 1996 and Hartford in 1997). The Oilers received support from the NHL for this very reason. In the 1998–99 season, the Oilers joined the Western Conference's Northwest Division. On November 22, 2003, the Oilers hosted the 2003 Heritage Classic , the first regular season outdoor hockey game in
33234-506: The trade. None of this was public knowledge at the time. However, the Oilers and their fans were still upset. Nelson Riis , the New Democratic Party leader in Canada's House of Commons , went so far as to ask the government to block the trade. Several of the Oilers considered launching a team-wide strike and even considered demanding that Pocklington sell the team. The loss of Gretzky had an immediate impact in 1988–89 , as
33425-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
33616-436: The upstart league as they were allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters. Originally, Gretzky was not eligible to be protected; under the rules of the time, he normally would have been placed in the entry draft pool. However, Pocklington had signed him to a 21-year personal services contract in 1979 and Pocklington used the contract to force the NHL to admit the Oilers and allow the Oilers to keep Gretzky. Upon joining
33807-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
33998-399: The victors. The Oilers made the playoffs in four of the next six years, but they were defeated after the first round every time. Despite their success over the past two seasons, the Oilers were in trouble off the ice. Owner Peter Pocklington had explored moving the Oilers to Minnesota during the 1990s. In 1998, Pocklington almost made a deal to sell the team to Leslie Alexander , the owner of
34189-658: The western league was not sanctioned as a top junior league until 1970, when Canadian junior hockey was reorganized. Despite winning the 1966 Memorial Cup , Edmonton Oil Kings ' owner Bill Hunter was growing concerned about the state of junior hockey in Western Canada. Each of the West's four provinces had its own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against larger leagues based in Ontario and Quebec. Desiring stronger competition, Hunter's Oil Kings were competing in both
34380-585: Was able to acquire Chris Pronger (former winner of the Hart and Norris Trophies) and Michael Peca (two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner) before the 2005–06 season . The team suffered from inconsistency during the first few months of the regular season, especially in goal and offence. Goaltenders Ty Conklin and Jussi Markkanen were unreliable in net and Peca also struggled with offence. However, in-season acquisitions, such as defencemen Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom , goaltender Dwayne Roloson and left winger Sergei Samsonov , helped Edmonton finish
34571-562: Was announced Krueger was to be replaced by former Toronto Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins . One of MacTavish's first player moves as Oilers' general manager came at the 2013 NHL entry draft , as Edmonton used their seventh overall selection to draft defenceman Darnell Nurse . More moves came on July 5, during free agency, which saw MacTavish trade captain Shawn Horcoff to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Philip Larsen . MacTavish also signed Andrew Ference, Boyd Gordon , Jason LaBarbera , Will Acton , Ryan Hamilton and Jesse Joensuu . Ference
34762-630: Was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender. In a surprising and shocking trade, Gretzky, along with enforcer Marty McSorley and centre Mike Krushelnyski , were traded to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988. In exchange, the Oilers received US$ 15 million, young star Jimmy Carson , 1988 first-round draft choice Martin Gelinas , and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989, 1991, and 1993. The trade occurred because Pocklington did not want to risk Gretzky leaving Edmonton without getting anything in return. Gretzky had converted his chance at free agency and refused, which ultimately led to
34953-400: Was bought out of the last year of his contract. These moves, coupled with the signings of Eric Belanger , Cam Barker , Ben Eager and Darcy Hordichuk , changed the complexion of the team, to add "grit and toughness". However, the Oilers were again unable to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth-straight season, as they finished 14th in the Western Conference. On May 17, 2012, a month after
35144-423: Was ceremoniously named team captain. On December 15, 2014, after 31 games of the 2014–15 season , MacTavish announced Dallas Eakins had been terminated as head coach. MacTavish assumed the role of interim coach while Todd Nelson transitioned into the role for the remainder of the season. Nelson was previously serving as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons , the Oilers' then-AHL affiliate. Three days later,
35335-431: Was delayed from its original date of October 11, 2012, due to a labour lock-out imposed by the NHL franchise owners after the expiration of the NHL's CBA. After a new labour agreement was reached between the owners and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), training camps opened on January 13, 2013, and a 48-game season (reduced from 82 games) commenced on January 19. The Oilers played their first game of
35526-500: Was later announced as the 14th captain in Oilers NHL franchise history on September 29. Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth, who after the Horcoff trade became the last remaining members of the Oilers' 2006 Stanley Cup finalists still with the team, departed the Oilers franchise, as Hemsky was traded to the Ottawa Senators on March 5, 2014. Smyth (who had previously left the Oilers in 2007, but had returned in 2011) announced his retirement on April 11, playing his final NHL game on April 13, where he
35717-436: Was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in
35908-433: Was significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic , which emerged in North America in early 2020. The 2019–20 season was cut short and its playoffs ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic, while the 2020–21 season was played in a modified format, with teams playing 24-game in-division schedules with no playoffs. As such, neither the Ed Chynoweth Cup nor the Memorial Cup were awarded in 2020 or 2021. The league returned to
36099-470: Was subsequently traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Joffrey Lupul , Ladislav Smid , and three draft picks. Several Oilers left via free agency and during the season, long-time Oiler Ryan Smyth was traded to the New York Islanders for Ryan O'Marra , Robert Nilsson and a first-round pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft (used to select Alex Plante ). However, the Oilers were able to re-sign Dwayne Roloson and Fernando Pisani. Having lost so many players,
36290-438: Was traded to the New York Rangers a day after the season began. The Oilers even lost their head coach, as John Muckler left to become head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres . Ted Green replaced Muckler as head coach, and Kevin Lowe succeeded Messier as captain. Despite the number of changes, the Oilers produced a comparable season to 1990–91, finishing third in the Smythe Division with 36 wins and 82 points. In
36481-428: Was undermined when the Barons withdrew from the best-of-seven series during the fourth game in protest of alleged violent play on the part of the Bombers. The Bombers, who were awarded the title, proceeded to challenge the Memorial Cup champion-Montreal Junior Canadiens to a championship showdown, but the Montreal team declined. After years of disputes, Canadian junior hockey was reorganized in 1970, with CAHA absorbing
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