Edmonton Oilers Hockey Teams 1983-84 / 1984-85 / 1986-87 / 1987-88 / 1989-90
Hockey Team - Inducted 2001
The Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club entered the National Hockey League in 1979/80 from the World Hockey Association and immediately made an impact on the league. While Wayne Gretzky entered the NHL with the Oilers in 1979 from the WHA, the team wisely used the entry draft to acquire players such as Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, and others that would become integral pieces of the Oilers dynasty. By the 1982/83 season, after just four years in the league, the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup final, losing to the three-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders. The next season, 1983-84, the Edmonton Oilers took control and won an amazing 57 regular-season games on the way to their first Stanley Cup Championship. The next four years, 1984/85 through 1987/88, would see the Oilers win three more Stanley Cup Championships and firmly entrench themselves as one of the greatest teams in NHL history. After the fourth Stanley Cup in five years the unthinkable happened, Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. After losing to Gretzky's Kings in the 1988/89 playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers were out to prove themselves and completed their return to greatness in 1989/90, by capturing the Stanley Cup for the fifth time in seven years.
The Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s revolutionized the game of hockey with their fast-skating, offensive style of play and compiled numerous team and league offensive records, many of which still stand today. Glen Sather, an Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member, was the General Manager for all five Stanley Cup Championship teams and the Head Coach during four of the championships.
1983/84, 1984/85, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1989/90 Edmonton Oilers
Keith Acton, Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Dave Brown, Kelly Buchberger, Billy Carroll, Paul Coffey, Pat Conacher, Geoff Courtnall, Lee Fogolin, Grant Fuhr, Martin Gelinas, Adam Graves, Ted Green* (AC/C), Randy Gregg, Wayne Gretzky, Dave Hannan, Charlie Huddy, Pat Hughes, Dave Hunter, Don Jackson, Petr Klima, Mike Krushelnyski, Lyle Kulchisky (T), Jari Kurri, Normand Lacombe, Mark Lamb, Moe Lemay, Willy Lindstrom, Ken Linesman, Ron Lowe (C), Ken Lowe (T), Kevin Lowe, Dave Lumley, Craig MacTavish, Kevin McClelland, Marty McSorley, Larry Melnyk, Mark Messier, Andy Moog, John Muckler (AC/C), Craig Muni, Joe Murphy, Mark Napier, Kent Nilsson, Peter Pocklington (O), Jaroslav Pouzar, Bill Ranford, Eldon Reddick, Reijo Ruotsalainen, Glen Sather (C/GM), Dave Semenko*, Craig Simpson, Geoff Smith, Steve Smith, Barrie Stafford (T), Esa Tikkanen
After Induction
The Oilers have retired the jerseys of:
Wayne Gretzky #99 October 1, 1999
Jari Kurri #17 October 6, 2001
Grant Fuhr #31 October 3, 2003
Paul Coffey # 7 October 18, 2005
Mark Messier #11 February 27, 2007
Glenn Anderson # 9 January 18, 2009
Many of the Oilers Stanley Cup players were traded to the New York Rangers where they helped lead the 1993/94 team to a Stanley Cup victory. For some of the former Oilers it was their sixth Stanley Cup win.
After retiring from playing hockey, many of the Oiler players were still involved with hockey, either as scouts, coaches, or part of the team management and operations staff.
In 2012, equipment manager Barrie Stafford was inducted into the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS) and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers' (SPHEM) Wall of Honour, which is located in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Five Edmonton Oilers were voted to the NHL's top 100 List in 2017: Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Wayne Gretzky, Jarri Kurri and Mark Messier. All five, as well as Glenn Anderson and Glen Sather, have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In June 2017 it was announced that the 1984/85 team was voted by the fans as the NHL's greatest team of all time. Four of five inducted Oiler teams made the NHL’s top-10 list which also included the 1983/84, 1986/87 and 1987/88 teams. In November, the Oilers organization announced they were going to have a public event February 11, 2018 to celebrate and remember this incredible team. Net proceeds were to go toward the Dave Semenko legacy endowment fund. Dave was the first Oiler of the five Stanley Cup teams era to pass away (2017). Assistant coach, Ted Green passed away October 8, 2019.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when live sports were cancelled, the Edmonton Oilers Stanley cup playoff games, and player highlights, were featured on sports highlights and rebroadcasts.
Obituary News:
1 June 29, 2017 – Dave Semenko passed away. He is the first to pass away from this group of Oilers.
2 October 8, 2019 – Ted Green assistant coach passed away.
