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Edmonton Oil Kings facts for kids

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This page is about the current team that began play in 2007. For the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978, see Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL).
Quick facts for kids
Edmonton Oil Kings
Edmonton Oil Kings logo.svg
City Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
League Western Hockey League
Conference Eastern
Division Central
Founded March 16, 2006 (2006-03-16)
Home arena Rogers Place
Colours Red, royal blue, gold, white
                   
Owner(s) Oilers Entertainment Group (Daryl Katz, Katz Group)
General manager Kirt Hill
Head coach Luke Pierce
Championships
  • Ed Chynoweth Cup: 3 (2012, 2014, 2022)
  • Conference Championships: 4 (2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2021–22)
  • Memorial Cup: 1 (2014)
  • Regular season titles: 2 (2011–12, 2020–21)
Website
www.oilkings.ca

The Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. The 2007–08 season was the newest incarnation of the Oil Kings' inaugural season in the WHL. Some NHL alumni include Tomas Vincour, Mark Pysyk, Curtis Lazar, Keegan Lowe, Griffin Reinhart, Henrik Samuelsson, Laurent Brossoit, Tristan Jarry and David Musil. As the 2012 WHL champions, the Oil Kings played in the 2012 Memorial Cup, losing 6–1 against the eventual winning team, the Shawinigan Cataractes, in the playoff tie-breaker. The Oil Kings won the 2014 Memorial Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm in the final game.

Franchise history

Edmonton Oil Kings 2018 logo
Alternate logo introduced in 2013

The newest incarnation of the Oil Kings are the fourth WHL team to play in Edmonton, preceded by the first Edmonton Oil Kings (1951–76), the second Edmonton Oil Kings (1978–79) and the Edmonton Ice (1996–98).

The first Edmonton Oil Kings were a junior hockey team that played in the original Western Canada Junior Hockey League from 1951 to 1956. They then played with the senior amateur Central Alberta Hockey League from 1956 to 1965, winning the 1963 Memorial Cup. They joined the Alberta Senior Hockey League for the 1965–66 season, prior to jumping to the new Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCHL) in 1966. The Oil Kings were also initially successful in the WCHL, capturing two President's Cup titles. However, with the arrival of the World Hockey Association and the Edmonton Oilers in 1972, the junior club's attendance began to plummet. Approximately 150,000 fans went to Oil Kings games in 1971–72. That number dropped to 90,000 the next year, and 68,000 the following year. The original Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon in 1976, becoming the Portland Winter Hawks.

The Oil Kings were revived in 1978, when Bill Hunter purchased the Flin Flon Bombers and brought them to Alberta's capital. However, the juniors were once again unable to compete at the ticket window with the Oilers, averaging about 500 fans per game, and rumours that the team would again relocate began to swirl before the first season was even complete. The second Oil Kings relocated again to become the Great Falls Americans, where the team would only last 28 more games before folding.

Despite the long-held belief that major-junior hockey could not survive against the pros, the WHL returned to Calgary (home to the NHL Calgary Flames in 1995, and Edmonton – as the Edmonton Ice – in 1996. At the time, the Oilers were struggling on the ice, as well as attendance. The Oilers refused to work with the Ice, blocking them from playing in Northlands Coliseum, thus relegating them to the substandard Northlands Agricom. The Ice relocated to Cranbrook, British Columbia, becoming the Kootenay Ice, after two underwhelming seasons.

"Return of the Kings"

Hitmen v Oil Kings
The Oil Kings face the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL's Battle of Alberta.

In 2004, with the Flames-owned Hitmen leading the WHL in attendance for the fourth consecutive season, and the Vancouver Giants also proving to be a major attendance success despite the presence of the NHL Vancouver Canucks, the ownership group of the Oilers put out an open offer of $5 million – well over market value – to purchase and relocate any existing WHL franchise. With no takers, and with the 2004–05 NHL lockout looming, the Oilers chose to relocate their AHL team to Rexall Place as the Edmonton Roadrunners. Despite finishing third in the AHL in attendance, and having publicly promised to operate the team in Edmonton for at least three seasons, the Oilers suspended the Roadrunners after only one season rather than have their minor league team competing against themselves. The Oilers then resumed their quest for a WHL team.

When the sale of the Tri-City Americans to Chilliwack, British Columbia failed, the WHL placed an expansion team in Chilliwack, and the door for Edmonton was finally reopened. While the league had previously refused to consider further expansion, believing 20 teams was enough, the addition of the Chilliwack Bruins left the league with an odd number of franchises. Preferring an even number of teams, the league announced its return to Edmonton on March 16, 2006 with the granting of a conditional expansion franchise, named the Edmonton Oil Kings in homage to the former franchise.

The team began play in the 2007–08 WHL season and finished with a record of 22–39–11, good for 55 points, but not enough to make the playoffs.

The new Oil Kings captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup, as victors of the WHL playoffs, in the 2011–12 and 2013–14 WHL seasons, earning berths to the 2012 and 2014 Memorial Cups. On May 25, 2014 the Oil Kings won the franchise's third, first for the reborn team, Memorial Cup after defeating the Ontario Hockey League champion Guelph Storm by a score of 6–3.

In 2022, the Oil Kings won their third Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, earning them a spot at the 2022 Memorial Cup.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2007–08 72 22 39 4 7 162 241 55 5th Central Out of playoffs
2008–09 72 29 34 4 5 191 252 67 5th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final (Hitmen)
2009–10 72 16 43 4 9 169 285 45 6th Central Out of playoffs
2010–11 72 31 34 2 5 249 252 69 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final (Rebels)
2011–12 72 50 15 3 4 310 193 107 1st Central Won Championship (Winterhawks)
2012–13 72 51 15 2 4 278 155 108 1st Central Lost final (Winterhawks)
2013–14 72 50 19 2 1 290 179 103 1st Central Won Championship (Winterhawks)
Won Memorial Cup (Storm)
2014–15 72 34 31 4 3 217 204 75 5th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final (Wheat Kings)
2015–16 72 29 36 6 1 197 238 65 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final (Wheat Kings)
2016–17 72 23 43 5 1 193 292 52 5th Central Out of playoffs
2017–18 72 22 42 6 2 204 315 52 6th Central Out of playoffs
2018–19 68 42 18 4 4 259 196 92 1st Central Lost Eastern Conference final (Raiders)
2019–20 64 42 12 6 4 239 167 94 1st Central Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 23 20 2 0 1 104 41 41 1st Central Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 68 50 14 3 1 295 182 104 1st Central Won Championship (Thunderbirds)
2022–23 68 10 54 4 0 131 338 24 6th Central Out of playoffs
2023–24 68 27 37 3 1 227 301 58 6th Central Out of playoffs

WHL Championship history

  • 2011–12: Win, 4–3 vs Portland
  • 2012–13: Loss, 2–4 vs Portland
  • 2013–14: Win, 4–3 vs Portland
  • 2021–22: Win, 4–2 vs Seattle

Memorial Cup Final history

  • 2012: Eliminated in round-robin
  • 2014: Win, 6–3 vs Guelph (OHL)
  • 2022: Eliminated in round-robin

Current roster

Updated February 21, 2024.

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
37 Canada Abougouche, IsmailIsmail Abougouche D L 18 2024 Lac La Biche, Alberta Eligible 2024
6 Canada Alcos, ParkerParker Alcos D R 18 2022 Port Moody, British Columbia Eligible 2024
11 Canada Bruce, SkylerSkyler Bruce RW R 21 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
3 United States Fiddler, BlakeBlake Fiddler D R 17 2022 Nashville, Tennessee Eligible 2025
14 Canada Finnie, MarshallMarshall Finnie (A) RW R 20 2022 Lethbridge, Alberta Undrafted
8 Canada Gallant, MatthewMatthew Gallant D R 20 2023 Langley, British Columbia Undrafted
23 Canada Hanson, LandonLandon Hanson RW R 18 2022 Grande Prairie, Alberta Eligible 2024
30 Canada Hay, KolbyKolby Hay G L 20 2019 Kamloops, British Columbia Undrafted
17 Canada Hodnett, GavinGavin Hodnett C L 18 2021 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2024
21 Canada Iginla, JoeJoe Iginla RW R 16 2023 Lake Country, British Columbia Eligible 2026
43 Czech Republic Jecho, AdamAdam Jecho C R 18 2023 Zlín, Czech Republic Eligible 2024
22 Canada Kerner, PresleyPresley Kerner C R 17 2022 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2026
24 Canada Lajoie, MarcMarc Lajoie (A) D L 21 2023 St. Albert, Alberta Undrafted
47 Canada MacKenzie, EthanEthan MacKenzie D L 18 2021 West Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2024
28 Canada Mannix, EastynEastyn Mannix D L 19 2023 Wainwright, Alberta Undrafted
15 Canada Miller, ColeCole Miller C R 19 2021 Edmonton, Alberta Undrafted
34 United States Nash, TyTy Nash (A) RW R 21 2023 Scottsdale, Arizona Undrafted
4 Canada Pederson, RhysRhys Pederson D L 18 2021 Stettler, Alberta Eligible 2024
33 Canada Perry, HudsonHudson Perry G R 17 2023 Sexsmith, Alberta Eligible 2025
18 Canada Powell, LukeLuke Powell LW L 17 2022 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2025
20 Canada Rebman, SmythSmyth Rebman C R 18 2023 Prince George, British Columbia Eligible 2024
59 Canada Sawchyn, GracynGracyn Sawchyn C R 19 2023 Grande Prairie, Alberta 2023, 63rd Overall, FLA
12 Canada Szabo, JohnJohn Szabo LW L 19 2020 Lethbridge, Alberta Undrafted
55 Slovakia Tomasec, AndrejAndrej Tomasec RW R 18 2023 Zilina, Slovakia Eligible 2024
32 Canada Toogood, JackJack Toogood RW R 17 2022 Devon, Alberta Eligible 2025
9 Canada Woodward, RoanRoan Woodward C L 19 2023 Nipawin, Saskatchewan Undrafted

WHL awards and trophies

Ed Chynoweth Cup

  • 2011–12, 2013–14, 2021–22

Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy

  • 2011–12, 2020–21

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy

  • Dylan Guenther: 2019–20

WHL Plus-Minus Award

  • Ashton Sautner: 2013–14

Brad Hornung Trophy

  • Dylan Wruck: 2012–13

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy

  • Brad Lauer: 2019–20

Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy

  • Bob Green: 2011–12, 2012–13

St. Clair Group Trophy

  • 2018–19

Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy

  • Will Warm: 2018–19
  • Luke Prokop: 2021–22

WHL Playoff MVP

  • Laurent Brossoit: 2011–12
  • Griffin Reinhart: 2013–14
  • Kaiden Guhle: 2021–22


Memorial Cup trophies

Memorial Cup

  • 2014

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy

  • Edgars Kulda: 2014

Ed Chynoweth Trophy

  • Henrik Samuelsson: 2014

George Parsons Trophy

  • Curtis Lazar: 2014


NHL alumni

  • Brandon Baddock
  • Laurent Brossoit
  • Trey Fix-Wolansky
  • Mason Geertsen
  • Dylan Guenther
  • Kaiden Guhle
  • Tristan Jarry
  • Curtis Lazar
  • Keegan Lowe
  • Dysin Mayo
  • David Musil
  • Jake Neighbours
  • Mark Pysyk
  • Griffin Reinhart
  • Henrik Samuelsson
  • Ashton Sautner
  • Justin Sourdif
  • Tomas Vincour

NHL 1st round draft picks

  • 2010 NHL Entry Draft – Mark Pysyk #23 Overall (Buffalo Sabres)
  • 2012 NHL Entry Draft – Griffin Reinhart #4 Overall (New York Islanders)
  • 2012 NHL Entry Draft – Henrik Samuelsson #27 Overall (Phoenix Coyotes)
  • 2013 NHL Entry Draft – Curtis Lazar #17 Overall (Ottawa Senators)
  • 2020 NHL Entry Draft – Jake Neighbours #26 Overall (St. Louis Blues)
  • 2021 NHL Entry Draft – Dylan Guenther #9 Overall (Arizona Coyotes)
  • 2021 NHL Entry Draft – Sebastian Cossa #15 Overall (Detroit Red Wings)

See also

  • Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)
  • List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
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