Edmonton Oil Kings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edmonton Oil Kings |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Home arena | Rogers Place |
| Colours | Red, royal blue, gold, white |
| Owner(s) | Oilers Entertainment Group |
| General manager | Kirt Hill |
| Head coach | vacant |
| Championships | Memorial Cup: 1 (2014) Ed Chynoweth Cup: 3 (2012, 2014, 2022) Conference Championships: 4 (2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2021–22) |
|
Website chl.ca/whl-oilkings |
|
The Edmonton Oil Kings are a junior ice hockey team from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team started in 2006 and is owned by the same group as the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers.
The Oil Kings are the fourth WHL team to be based in Edmonton. Their name and logo connect to the original Oil Kings team. That first team was one of the WHL's founding clubs in 1966. The current Oil Kings have won the WHL championship three times. They also won the prestigious Memorial Cup in 2014.
Contents
Team History
Past Edmonton Teams
Edmonton has a long history with the Western Hockey League. The first Oil Kings team was created in 1966. They were owned by Bill Hunter. This team was very successful, winning championships in 1970 and 1971.
However, when the Edmonton Oilers joined the World Hockey Association, the original Oil Kings moved. They went to Portland in 1976 and became the Winter Hawks. The Oil Kings name briefly returned for one season in 1978–79. This was when the Flin Flon Bombers played in Edmonton before moving to Great Falls, Montana.
Edmonton got another WHL team in 1996, called the Edmonton Ice. But this team only lasted two seasons. They moved to Cranbrook, British Columbia, and became the Kootenay Ice. The Edmonton Ice had problems with the Oilers. They were not allowed to play at Northlands Coliseum. Instead, they played at the Northlands Agricom. These challenges showed that the WHL found it hard to compete with professional hockey in big Canadian cities.
The Oil Kings Return
In 2004, the Calgary Hitmen were very popular. They were owned by the Calgary Flames. The Oilers' owners then offered $5 million to buy and move any WHL team to Edmonton. No team accepted their offer.
The Oilers decided to bring their American Hockey League team, the Edmonton Road Runners, to Edmonton. Even though the Road Runners were popular, the Oilers stopped the team after just one season. This happened when the NHL returned after a lockout. The Oilers then continued their search for a WHL team.
The WHL decided to add a new team in Edmonton on March 16, 2006. This new team was named the Oil Kings. This honored the old team. The new team also used an updated version of the original Oil Kings' crown logo and jerseys.
Early Success on the Ice
The team started playing in the 2007–08 WHL season. The Oil Kings had a tough start for their first four seasons. They missed the playoffs twice and did not win any playoff rounds.
But things changed in the 2011–12 season. Players like Griffin Reinhart, Curtis Lazar, and Tristan Jarry led the team to great success. They had the best record in the regular season. They won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. The Oil Kings made it to the championship series. They beat the Portland Winterhawks in seven games to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup. The Winterhawks were the team that used to be the original Oil Kings.
At the 2012 Memorial Cup, the Oil Kings won their first game. But they lost the next two and were eliminated. The next season, Edmonton was again the top team in the Eastern Conference. They played Portland again for the league championship. This time, Portland won the series.
In the 2013–14 season, the Oil Kings and Winterhawks met in the final for the third year in a row. This was a rare event in WHL history. The Oil Kings won this series in seven games. This earned them a spot in their second Memorial Cup tournament.
At the 2014 Memorial Cup, the Oil Kings lost two games in the first round. But their one win was enough to reach the semi-final. They beat the Val-d'Or Foreurs in a very long game. It went into triple overtime and was the longest game in Memorial Cup history. In the final, Edmonton defeated the Guelph Storm 6–3. This win gave them the championship. It was Edmonton's first Memorial Cup since the original Oil Kings won in 1966.
Another Strong Period
After a few seasons near the bottom of their division, the Oil Kings became strong again. They topped their division four seasons in a row starting in 2018–19. Their success was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019–20 season was cut short. The 2020–21 season was shorter and had no playoffs.
Regular play returned in the 2021–22 season. Led by Dylan Guenther and Sebastian Cossa, the Oil Kings won their third Ed Chynoweth Cup. They beat the Seattle Thunderbirds in the finals. This sent them to the 2022 Memorial Cup. At that tournament, the Oil Kings won one game in overtime. But they were eliminated after losing two other games.
Season Records
Here's a look at how the Oil Kings have done each season:
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 | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 | 72 | 29 | 34 | 4 | 5 | 191 | 252 | 67 | 5th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal (Hitmen) |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 16 | 43 | 4 | 9 | 169 | 285 | 45 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 | 72 | 31 | 34 | 2 | 5 | 249 | 252 | 69 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal (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 quarterfinal (Wheat Kings) |
| 2015–16 | 72 | 29 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 197 | 238 | 65 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal (Wheat Kings) |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 23 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 193 | 292 | 52 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 22 | 42 | 6 | 2 | 204 | 315 | 52 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 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 | Season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 23 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 104 | 41 | 41 | 1st Central | No playoffs 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 | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 68 | 27 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 227 | 301 | 58 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 68 | 37 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 248 | 211 | 78 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal (Raiders) |
Championships and Trophies
- Memorial Cup: 2014
- Ed Chynoweth Cup (WHL Champions): 2011–12, 2013–14, 2021–22
- Conference Titles (4): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2021–22
- Division Titles (7): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
.jpg)
WHL Championship Finals
- 2011–12: Won, 4–3 against Portland Winterhawks
- 2012–13: Lost, 2–4 against Portland Winterhawks
- 2013–14: Won, 4–3 against Portland Winterhawks
- 2021–22: Won, 4–2 against Seattle Thunderbirds
Memorial Cup Finals
- 2014: Won, 6–3 against Guelph Storm
Famous Players
NHL Players from the Oil Kings
Many players from the Edmonton Oil Kings have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here are some of them:
- Brandon Baddock
- Laurent Brossoit
- Sebastian Cossa
- 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
- Matthew Robertson
- Henrik Samuelsson
- Ashton Sautner
- Justin Sourdif
- Tomas Vincour
Top NHL Draft Picks
Several Oil Kings players have been chosen early in the NHL Entry Draft. This means they were picked in the first round.
- 2010: Mark Pysyk, 23rd overall, Buffalo Sabres
- 2012: Griffin Reinhart, 4th overall, New York Islanders
- 2012: Henrik Samuelsson, 27th overall, Phoenix Coyotes
- 2013: Curtis Lazar, 17th overall, Ottawa Senators
- 2020: Kaiden Guhle, 16th overall, Montreal Canadiens
- 2020: Jake Neighbours, 26th overall, St. Louis Blues
- 2021: Dylan Guenther, 9th overall, Arizona Coyotes
- 2021: Sebastian Cossa, 15th overall, Detroit Red Wings
Team Awards
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
- Dylan Guenther: 2019–20
WHL Plus-Minus Award (Best Plus/Minus Rating)
- Ashton Sautner: 2013–14
Brad Hornung Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player)
- Dylan Wruck: 2012–13
WHL Playoff MVP (Most Valuable Player in Playoffs)
- Laurent Brossoit: 2011–12
- Griffin Reinhart: 2013–14
- Kaiden Guhle: 2021–22
Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Coach of the Year)
- Brad Lauer: 2019–20
Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy (Executive of the Year)
- Bob Green: 2011–12, 2012–13
St. Clair Group Trophy (Marketing/Business Award)
- 2018–19
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian of the Year)
- Will Warm: 2018–19
- Luke Prokop: 2021–22
Memorial Cup Awards
These awards are given out during the Memorial Cup tournament.
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Tournament MVP)
- Edgars Kulda: 2014
Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Leading Scorer)
- Henrik Samuelsson: 2014
George Parsons Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player)
- Curtis Lazar: 2014
See also
- List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
