edmonton oilers history
edmonton oilers history
Edmonton Oilers tickets have brought NHL fans some of the greatest moments in hockey history. Heading into the 2005-2006 hockey season the Oilers will be depending on Ty Conklin and Jussi Markkanen to produce an offense greater than the sum of its parts. While neither is a bona fide superstar, Oilers’ management is banking on the pair to jell and give Edmonton Oilers tickets some of their old luster.
The Edmonton Oilers, playing their home games in the Rexall Place, have long been a dominant team in the NHL winning 5 Stanley Cups. After playing in the old WHA, the Oilers became members of the National Hockey League (NHL) after the 1979 season as the NHL absorbed four former WHA teams. The last season in the WHA was significant for the Oilers as they were lucky enough to obtain the services of a rookie named Wayne Gretsky.
Gretsky would begin to change the Oilers fortunes in his first year of play, leading Edmonton to a WHA league best 48 wins. Though the Oilers would get past the first round of the playoffs and advance to the finals, Gretsky couldn’t push the team past the Winnipeg Jets as the Oilers fell short in a six game series.
As new members of the NHL the Oilers would be perennial playoff contenders as Gretsky established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the NHL. Gretsky scored 92 goals in 1982, bettering the old mark by 14. The 1982-83 season gave Gretsky his 4th Hart Trophy and the Oilers entered the postseason as the Smythe Division Champions with a record of 47-21-12. After sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in three games, the Oilers continued their streak with a five game series win over the Calgary Flames. Advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals with a Conference win over the Chicago Blackhawks though, the Oilers were brought back to earth, falling to the New York Islanders.
With Gretsky leading the way though, the Oilers captured back to back Stanley Cups in 1984 and 1985. After falling just short in the following season, Edmonton hoisted their third Stanley Cup in four years in a seven game series over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Gretsky era in Edmonton came to a sudden end in 1988 as the most famous player in hockey was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Ironically, it would be Gretsky and the Kings that knocked Edmonton out of the playoffs the very next year, as the Kings won three straight games to clinch the series.
While Edmonton Oilers tickets have produced more than their share of excitement for NHL fans, the Oilers are looking for more consistency this season. Avoiding the erratic performances of the last few seasons will give the Oilers a shot at winning in a tough division. To do that Edmonton added Chris Pronger to the defense, hoping the combination of Jason Smith, Steve Staios, and Pronger can give Rexall Place the reputation of a nasty arena to visit and fans with Oilers tickets a sure bet for top of the line hockey at every home game.
