Edmonton Oil Kings
Encyclopedia
This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings
The Edmonton Oil Kings were a junior ice hockey
team, and founding member of the Western Hockey League
. They played at the Edmonton Gardens
in Edmonton, Alberta, and later the Northlands Coliseum. In 1976 they moved to Portland, Oregon
to become the Portland Winter Hawks
. A second incarnation of the team played only one season in 1977–78 before moving to Great Falls, Montana
.
in 1963 and 1966 as members of the senior men's Central Alberta Hockey League. The team was required to defeat the Alberta Junior Hockey League
champion to earn the right to play for the national junior championship. They were also cup finalists seven different years between 1954 and 1971.
In 1966, Bill Hunter, the team's General Manager, was concerned about the state of junior hockey in western Canada. Each of the west's four provinces all had their own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against the powerful leagues in Ontario
and Quebec
. Hunter hoped to form a unified western league to compete.
Hunter's hopes became reality in the summer of 1966, when a revolt within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
caused several of its top clubs, the Estevan Bruins
, Regina Pats
, Saskatoon Blades
, Moose Jaw Canucks
and Weyburn Red Wings
, to leave the league and join Hunter's Oil Kings in forming a new league. A seventh franchise was also added in Calgary, the Calgary Buffaloes.
The Oil Kings captured back to back President's Cup
titles in 1971 and 1972, however it would prove to be the final titles in the celebrated franchise's history, as the Oil Kings found it difficult to compete with the lure of pro hockey provided by the WHA's
Edmonton Oilers
. The Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon
in 1976, to become the Portland Winter Hawks
.
There was a second Edmonton Oil Kings hockey team in the WHL that played only one season. The Flin Flon Bombers
moved to Edmonton for the 1978–79 WHL season, but only survived one year and moved on to Great Falls. The team folded as the Great Falls Americans.
A new WHL team
began play in Edmonton in 2007–08, reviving the Oil Kings name.
NHL 1st round draft picks
Edmonton Oil Kings
This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings...
The Edmonton Oil Kings were a junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team, and founding member of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. They played at the Edmonton Gardens
Edmonton Gardens
The Edmonton Gardens was the first indoor hockey arena built in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was originally built as Edmonton Stock Pavilion in 1913, and held 5,200 spectators after its 1966 renovations....
in Edmonton, Alberta, and later the Northlands Coliseum. In 1976 they moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to become the Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
. A second incarnation of the team played only one season in 1977–78 before moving to Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
.
Franchise history
The Edmonton Oil Kings have a history that predates the founding of the Western Hockey League. They won the Memorial CupMemorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
in 1963 and 1966 as members of the senior men's Central Alberta Hockey League. The team was required to defeat the Alberta Junior Hockey League
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy...
champion to earn the right to play for the national junior championship. They were also cup finalists seven different years between 1954 and 1971.
In 1966, Bill Hunter, the team's General Manager, was concerned about the state of junior hockey in western Canada. Each of the west's four provinces all had their own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against the powerful leagues in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Hunter hoped to form a unified western league to compete.
Hunter's hopes became reality in the summer of 1966, when a revolt within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences...
caused several of its top clubs, the Estevan Bruins
Estevan Bruins
The Estevan Bruins are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Estevan, Saskatchewan and plays at the brand new Spectra Place. Radio station CJSL AM 1280 broadcasts Bruins games.-History:...
, Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
, Saskatoon Blades
Saskatoon Blades
The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.-History:...
, Moose Jaw Canucks
Moose Jaw Canucks
The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They were one of the founding members of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966 following a rebellion within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League...
and Weyburn Red Wings
Weyburn Red Wings
The Weyburn Red Wings are a junior ice hockey team, based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and currently playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games at the Weyburn Colosseum which has a seating capacity of 1,950. The team colours are red and white. The team logo is the...
, to leave the league and join Hunter's Oil Kings in forming a new league. A seventh franchise was also added in Calgary, the Calgary Buffaloes.
The Oil Kings captured back to back President's Cup
President's Cup (WHL)
The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League . Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honour Ed Chynoweth's long service to junior hockey in Canada...
titles in 1971 and 1972, however it would prove to be the final titles in the celebrated franchise's history, as the Oil Kings found it difficult to compete with the lure of pro hockey provided by the WHA's
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. The Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 1976, to become the Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
.
There was a second Edmonton Oil Kings hockey team in the WHL that played only one season. The Flin Flon Bombers
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained...
moved to Edmonton for the 1978–79 WHL season, but only survived one year and moved on to Great Falls. The team folded as the Great Falls Americans.
A new WHL team
Edmonton Oil Kings
This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings...
began play in Edmonton in 2007–08, reviving the Oil Kings name.
League membership
The Oil Kings played in the following leagues during its existence:- 1951–56: Western Canada Junior Hockey League
- 1960–66: Central Alberta Hockey League
- 1966–76: Western Canada Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
- 1978–79: Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstOil Kings (first: 1966–77)
Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
1966–67 | 56 | 34 | 12 | 10 | 78 | 281 | 188 | 1st Overall | Lost semi-final |
1967–68 | 60 | 38 | 16 | 6 | 82 | 303 | 194 | 3rd Overall | Lost semi-final |
1968–69 | 60 | 33 | 25 | 2 | 68 | 229 | 206 | 1st West | Lost final |
1969–70 | 60 | 35 | 25 | 0 | 70 | 254 | 217 | 2nd West | Lost final |
1970–71 | 66 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 91 | 346 | 258 | 1st West | Won Championship President's Cup (WHL) The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League . Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honour Ed Chynoweth's long service to junior hockey in Canada... |
1971–72 | 68 | 44 | 22 | 2 | 90 | 320 | 246 | 2nd West | Won Championship President's Cup (WHL) The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League . Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honour Ed Chynoweth's long service to junior hockey in Canada... |
1972–73 | 68 | 40 | 20 | 8 | 88 | 311 | 240 | 1st West | Lost semi-final |
1973–74 | 68 | 25 | 36 | 7 | 57 | 252 | 301 | 4th West | Lost quarter-final |
1974–75 | 70 | 34 | 29 | 7 | 75 | 340 | 321 | 5th West | Out of playoffs |
1975–76 | 72 | 25 | 42 | 5 | 55 | 312 | 400 | 5th West | Lost preliminary round |
Oil Kings (second: 1978–79)
Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
1978–79 | 72 | 17 | 43 | 12 | 46 | 288 | 403 | 3rd East | Eliminated in round robin |
NHL alumni
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NHL 1st round draft picks
- 1969 NHL Amateur Draft1969 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
- Frank SpringFrank SpringFranklin Patrick Spring is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 61 games in the National Hockey League and 13 games in the World Hockey Association. He played with the St...
#4 Overall (Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) - 1971 NHL Amateur Draft1971 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
- Ron Jones #6 Overall (Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) - 1971 NHL Amateur Draft1971 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
- Dan SpringDan Spring (ice hockey)Dan Spring was is a former professional ice hockey forward. He was drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft...
#12 Overall (Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) - 1972 NHL Amateur Draft1972 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1972 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft...
- Phil Russell #13 Overall (Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) - 1973 NHL Amateur Draft1973 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, the 11th National Hockey League draft was the first to be held on a separate day from other league activities on May 15, 1973, at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec so it would not overshadow the rest of the league meetings. Previously, the league had held the...
- Darcy RotaDarcy RotaDarcy Irwin Rota is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League...
#13 Overall (Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) - 1975 NHL Amateur Draft1975 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...
- Robin SadlerRobin SadlerRobin Sadler is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the first round, ninth overall, of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft by the Montreal Canadiens; in addition, he was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, of the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft by the Michigan Stags...
#9 Overall (Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
)