Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club, commonly referred to as Edmonton Oilers or simply Oilers, is one of the most iconic and successful ice hockey teams in the world. Founded in 1971 as Alberta Oilers, it changed its name to Edmonton Oilers in 1973. The club is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and plays its home matches at the famous Rogers Place, which has a seating capacity of over 18,000.
Edmonton Oilers has a rich history, boasting 5 Stanley Cup titles, 7 Conference Championships, 2 Presidents' Trophy, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The team enjoyed its most successful era under legendary player Wayne Gretzky, who led Oilers to 4 Stanley Cup victories between 1984 and 1988.
Known for its offensive style of play, the team has nurtured some of ice hockey’s greatest talents, including Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, and Connor McDavid. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances post-Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers remains one of the world’s most valuable ice hockey teams, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Canadian and world ice hockey.
Edmonton Oilers is one of the most popular ice hockey teams in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in North America. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Edmonton Oilers Fan Club (EOFC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Edmonton Oilers has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Los Angeles Lakers and New York Yankees), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Edmonton Oilers had the loudest fans in the National Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers was formed in 1972 as part of the World Hockey Association, they joined the National Hockey League in 1979. The team initially played games against other departments and companies, but on 20 November 1972, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the team—blue and orange—they were defeated 6–0 by Winnipeg Jets' reserve team.
In October 1983, the impending resumption of hockey after the off-season led to the managerial appointment of Glen Sather, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers, and training sessions. Sather led the team to second-place league finishes in 1984, 1985, and 1986, and to Stanley Cup victory in 1984. In 1987, the club won the Stanley Cup, its first league title for 5 years.
On 8 May 2000, Sather announced that he was to retire as manager at the end of the hockey season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador. He retired as the most decorated manager in hockey history. The club announced the next day that New York Rangers manager Tom Renney would replace him from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract. Ryan Smyth took over as interim player-manager 10 months later, on 22 April 2001, when Renney was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their NHL title and failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1995–96.
Initially funded by the World Hockey Association (WHA), the Edmonton Oilers became a limited company in 1972 and sold shares to local supporters for $1 via an application form. In 1979, majority ownership passed to Peter Pocklington who invested substantial funds to save the club from bankruptcy, including future club president Glen Sather. After his tenure in 1998, the club faced bankruptcy yet again but was saved in December 1998 by Cal Nichols, who assumed control of the club after an investment of $70 million. Nichols promoted his son, Brad, to the board in 2000, but stepped down three years later; the Nichols family retained ownership of the club through Cal's wife, Donna, but the position of chairman passed to former player Kevin Lowe.
Promoted to the board a few days after the 2006 Stanley Cup final loss, Daryl Katz, a friend of Wayne Gretzky, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately $200 million, he accumulated a 100 per cent shareholding and took control in January 2008. When Donna Nichols passed away in January 2010, her shares passed to Brad Nichols, who sold a percentage of his shares to Daryl Katz's son, Harrison, in 2012; Harrison Katz went on to become chairman upon his father's stepping down in 2015. Media tycoon Jim Pattison attempted to buy the club in 2010, but did not meet Katz's asking price. In 2013, chairman Harrison Katz attempted to sell the club to Bob Nicholson for $225 million, but the sale fell through and Nicholson joined the board of directors instead.
The Edmonton Oilers is one of the most successful clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL) in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Avco World Trophy, which they won in the World Hockey Association (WHA) before joining the NHL. In the 1983-84 season, the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup and have gone on to win a total of 5 Stanley Cups. Those titles have meant the club has appeared multiple times in the playoffs, showcasing their consistent performance.
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Edmonton Oilers: A detailed history and profile of the Edmonton Oilers, a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. https://www.nhl.com/oilers
Edmonton Oilers Team History: Comprehensive historical data and records of the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/EDM/
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