Al Hamilton

Hockey Athlete- Special Legends Class of 2025

Born in Manitoba, Al Hamilton first wore the jersey of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the fall of 1963. During his three seasons with the team, the Oil Kings advanced to the Memorial Cup in 1964 and 1965 and captured the championship in 1966.

Hamilton spent portions of three seasons with the New York Rangers before earning a full-time role with the club in 1969. He then played two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before returning to Alberta in 1972, where he was named the first captain of the Edmonton Oilers. Over seven seasons with the World Hockey Association club, he was a second-team all-star in 1972–73 and a first-team all-star in 1976–77, setting franchise records with 455 games played and 311 points—the most in WHA Oilers history.

He returned to the NHL with the Oilers in 1979 but retired shortly thereafter due to lingering effects from an eye injury. Hamilton’s number 3 became the first jersey retired by the Edmonton Oilers. Internationally, he represented Canada in the 1974 Canada-Russia Series and later coached the Sherwood Park Crusaders during the 1984–85 season.

Hamilton’s contributions to hockey have been honoured with induction into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (1992), the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (2015), and the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame (2022).